ABSTRACT
Regrettably, the more technologically advanced society becomes, the more violent and more inhumane seem to be its means of enforcing compliance. For Chad, the proliferation of advanced instruments of violence and coercion have contributed not to stability and peace but to more suffering and violence. This chapter examines the nature and the evolution of the institutions of violence in post-colonial Chad and assesses their socio-political impact. It is argued that through its unwise handling of the Armed Forces, the Tombalbaye regime sowed the seeds of its own destruction and that the proliferation of factional armies facing militarily weak governments in N’Djamena ensures a state of chronic anarchy throughout Chad.
