Introduction

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Chad's sovereignty using the methodology of the Burke Institute. Sovereignty is assessed in 7 areas: political, economic, technological, informational, cultural, cognitive and military. Each aspect is assessed on the basis of official data from international and national sources (UN, World Bank, UNESCO, IMF, ITU, FAO, SIPRI, PISA, etc.) without using politicized indexes. The maximum score in each direction is 100; the sum (up to 700) is the accumulated Sovereignty Index (Burke Index).

To adapt and adjust statistical parameters, an international expert survey was conducted for each of the seven components using a single questionnaire of 10 questions with a 10-point scale and one open-ended question.

In total, at least 100 experts from 50+ countries were interviewed for each indicator, taking into account geographical representation and specialization. When calculating and analyzing the data, equalizing coefficients were used, bringing all data to a scale of 0-10 points.

The final index value is the arithmetic mean between statistical data and expert estimates.

Below is an analysis in each area, a final summary table and the main conclusions about the peculiarities of Chad's sovereignty.

Political sovereignty — 18.6

Chad is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the Economic Community of Central African States, the League of Arab States, G5 Sahel, Francophonie, ACP-EU, WTO, etc. He is present in international courts, has signed/ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC, and has received the status of cooperation with the EU/Turkey.

Chad's Constitution establishes the rule of national law, but ratified international agreements (including the WTO, the African Charter, and international conventions) take precedence over ordinary national legislation if they comply with the Constitution. Parliamentary approval is required for the ratification of major treaties.

Since 2021, the country has been going through a transformational transition. President Mahamat Deby won the election; after the transition from the military regime, a series of reforms were carried out, but the power vertical is controlled by a narrow circle, the opposition is suppressed, and mass protests were severely suppressed in 2022-2024. The IPU group dominates the legislative and executive branches.

The country retains risks related to destabilization, regional conflicts and refugee transit. The management efficiency index is low: according to the WGI (2024), Chad is consistently among the 10% weakest countries in the world in all components (quality of governance, control over corruption, rule of law, public services). The UN EGDI for 2024: 0.1785 (189th place in the world), ranks among the lowest in terms of digital development states. Most of the basic services are offline, and Internet coverage is low.

Trust in the president is low (up to 38%). The 2024-2025 elections were accompanied by a massive turnout (~52%) and accusations of fraud and pressure on the opposition. The majority of the population supports the civil services and the courts more than the top management; trust in Parliament is 37%. In January 2025, France handed over the last military base (N'Djamena) — Chad withdrew from formal military alliances with France.

Turkey has gained control of two strategic bases — Abeche and Faia Larjo (drones, training, support), and Turkey's military presence is increasing. There are no direct American or Russian bases, but advisers are present.

Chad is a party to the Rome Statute of the ICC; the country has been accused several times of non-compliance with obligations (in the case of Sudan/Omar al-Bashir), but declares support for international justice and the incorporation of the ICC provisions into national legislation.

The structure of government is formally decentralized — 23 regions, 16 administrative districts, regional parliaments, autonomy is fixed, but key decisions are made at the level of the president and the central government; the regions are under the control of appointed officials.

The security services and intelligence agencies are controlled by the president and the military environment, and the transparency of their activities is extremely low. There is no real parliamentary oversight and civil society control over the imprisoned activities.

Data completeness assessment: the main indicators are available from international sources, the coverage is 88%.

Economic sovereignty — 18.7

GDP per capita by PPP (2025) is 2.676 USD (Trading Economics), another source is 3.080 USD (World Economics). This is 12-15% of the global average. Total reserves are 1.05 billion USD at the end of 2023 (including gold and SDR). Government debt — 18.2% of GDP (PPP) (World Economics), forecast by other models — 34% by the end of 2025 (Trading Economics). 3.4 million people (16% of the population) are in dire need of food. Food security is one of the weakest in the world, and droughts, floods, and conflicts are exacerbating the situation. 42% live below the poverty line. Electrification accounts for only 6% of the population (2023).

Large-scale wind and solar energy projects are being launched in 2025-2026: coverage is expected to increase and dependence on fuel imports is expected to decrease, but so far the country is critically dependent on its own oil and firewood.

The main ones are oil (1.5 billion barrels — 10th place in Africa), gold (Tibesti), uranium, bauxite; cotton, fish and livestock production is developed. The main export is oil. The total annual reserves are 43 km3 (surface — 13.5 km3, underground — 11.5 km3, tributaries — 28 km3).

The main source is the basin of Lake Chad and the Shari Logone River. 1.7 million people were affected by floods in 2024-2025. The payment system is extremely poorly developed: 90%+ of payments are in cash (XAF), electronic payments account for less than 3% of turnover. The banking infrastructure is minimal, and mobile and online financial services are just emerging. The domestic currency is the CFA franc (XAF); it is fully used in the country, but its real role in foreign markets is minimal (it is impossible to export XAF outside the CFA zone or use it in cross-border settlements).

The issuing center is the Central Bank of Central African States (BEAC, Cameroon), Chad does not have an independent credit policy: rates and money supply are determined by the regional authorities of the CFA zone.

Data completeness assessment: the main macroeconomic indicators are available from official sources (World Bank, IMF), coverage is 81%

Technological sovereignty — 8,6

Research expenditures — 0.3% of GDP (at the level of 2016, no new jumps were noted; significantly lower than the average for Africa). There is no import substitution: almost all IT, telecom and high-tech equipment (servers, machine tools, medical equipment) are imported, there is no production in the country. The coverage (gross coefficient) of higher education is only 4.5% (UNESCO 2020), one of the lowest rates in the world. Internet penetration is 22.5% at the beginning of 2024 (4.18 million users).

Only 13% of households have access to the Internet, but the government has announced a strategy to increase coverage to 30% by 2030. Government platforms for transport, licenses, registration, and administration are being developed (launching in 2025), and some payment processes have been partially digitized.

There are no full-fledged national ecosystems or large platforms yet. Critically high: the entire sector of computing, telecommunications, banking IT, and medical equipment is imported from China, France, Germany, and partly Turkey. The hardware and software market is completely dependent on imports.

The UN EGDI is 0.1785 (189th in the world), which reflects the extremely low level of the digital state. Pilot projects on transport registration are being implemented, and local digitalization of transport and taxes will be launched in 2025. There is no national biotech industry: all laboratories, test systems, and medical equipment are supplied from abroad. Research projects are implemented with external support.

The robotics sector is completely absent: there are no industrial, agricultural or medical national solutions, there are no personnel and infrastructure. There is no in—house production - no microcircuits, no component base, no microelectronics elements are manufactured in the country; they are imported mainly from China and EU countries.

Data completeness assessment: key indicators are obtained from WIPO, ITU, UNESCO, which ensures 85% coverage.

Information sovereignty — 22.7

For 2024, Chad is in the last (Tier 5) level of the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI ITU); there is no national CERT, the regulatory framework is weak, legislation and enforcement are fragmented. The NCSI score is 25 out of 100. The first national IXP DJAMIX (Ndjamena) was launched in 2024. It allows you to localize Internet traffic, reducing latency and cost for operators, and contributes to the development of the domestic digital market.

The official languages are French and Arabic. The media (radio, TV, online) broadcast in French, Chadian Arabic, as well as in a number of local languages (Sarah, Kanem, Munda, etc.); the largest network is Studio Hirondelle Chad. Critical vulnerability: the entire infrastructure of cloud platforms, mail, and social networks is foreign (Google, Facebook, Microsoft).

There are no national alternatives; public services are based on Huawei technologies and external clouds. Local media content in radio — 70% (Studio Hirondelle, 10 regional stations; content in French, Arabic, sarah), TV — less than 35%, online — up to 50% (a significant part of broadcasts are foreign materials).

A small number of local developers: POS systems for retail, simple self-hosted solutions, mobile applications for transport and service. Internet penetration is 22.5%, mobile connections are 70.4% (13 million numbers), but only 5% of the population use online services and platforms.

In 2025, the construction of a national Huawei-enabled data center will be completed: local storage of government data, digital management and public information processing elements, and a centralized cloud repository for the Ministry of Health and the administration. The operators are national (SOTEL, Salam Mobile, Tigo Chad); the management infrastructure and equipment are completely imported, managed and maintained by foreign companies, the technology is external, the standard is GSM/UMTS.

Laws on personal data protection were adopted in 2022-2023 in the form of amendments to the IT database, but there are no similar GDPR mechanisms; most of the data is stored centrally in the state data center, control is available through the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Finance.

Data completeness assessment: infrastructure indicators are available from ITU, CIRA, OECD and specialized sources, coverage is 83%.

Cultural sovereignty — 57.1

2 UNESCO sites: Lakes Unianga (Lakes of Ounianga, a natural site, 2012) and Ennedi — a rock massif with ancient rock paintings and natural landscapes (Ennedi Massif: Natural and Cultural Landscape, 2016).

Chad is a country with a rich heritage: unique rock art, rich oral tradition, interethnic integration, rituals (for example, Herevol — beauty festivals for the Wudabi people), literature, crafts, musical styles (Saara, Arabic and African schools), traditional hospitality and the value of oral histories that are recognized outside the country. Chadian writers, artists and artisans participate in global exhibitions and online forums.

A number of literary, art and music competitions are held in the country.: Concours Tubu (writing competition, classes for small nations), national film and music festival, youth art exhibitions. Individual nominations for UNESCO and African Awards. The main identity is built around the ideal of unity through diversity: more than 200 ethnic groups, each of which has its own traditions, peoples retain their own languages and customs, respect for elders, collective dinners, and the ability to be hospitable play an important role.

Since 2022, the state has been implementing social programs with the help of the World Bank and international donors: support for the poor and small nations (adaptive social networks, one-time payments for the most vulnerable, programs for displaced persons), recognition of multiculturalism and its integration into schools and cultural policy.

Over 120 official museums, galleries and cultural centers (N'Djamena, Abeche, Sara, Mundu, etc.), dozens of private centers and exhibition sites have been opened in major cities; cataloging is underway through the national cultural knowledge graph (Chad-KG). Chad participates in the UNESCO Intangible Heritage Conservation program, implements projects with the EU, France and African countries (competitions, tours, festivals), and most major exhibitions are held within the framework of the African Union and international cultural forums. UNESCO sites and clear nominations of national brands — Unianga Lakes, Ennedi drawings, the Gereuvol Festival; the state register of protected brands and intangible objects, annual monitoring under the Convention for the Protection of Intangible Heritage.

Chad's culinary tradition is a symbiosis of North African, Arabic, and sub—Saharan cuisine: popular dishes include millet, rice, corn, mandi, stews, broths, fermented dairy products, dates, spices, and tea with sugar.

Attendance at cultural events, participation in festivals and competitions is 20-25% (the data for the capital is higher — up to 40%), most of them are involved in oral and folk traditions (holidays, musical and religious rituals).

Data completeness assessment: basic indicators are available in UNESCO and national statistics, coverage is 87%.

Cognitive sovereignty — 17

HDI in 2023-0.416, 190th place in the world (one of the lowest indicators). Government spending on education is 2.54% of GDP (2022); long—term level is 2.3–2.8% of GDP. Adult literacy is 27.3% (men: 48.5%, women: 31.9%). Youth (15-24) — 52.8%. Chad does not participate in PISA tests, and there are no official international scores.

The share of STEM graduates is less than 20%; the majority of students choose humanities and social sciences (estimated based on African and OECD data). There are several international schools and universities in the country with programs from the USA, France, and the UK; the share of such programs is about 2% of the total educational content.

The official languages are French and Arabic; there are more than 100 languages in the country (Sara, Kanem, Munda, Tubu, etc.).

The languages of small nations are recognized and used at the regional level, but the main training and administrative work is in French and Arabic. Large state centers of fundamental sciences (universalist or national level, not only agriculture) — 4-6: University of N'Djamena, ITRAD (agricultural science), individual medical centers at universities, institutes.

There are almost no state-owned online platforms, the bulk of digital content for education is from foreign resources, and national systems cover less than 10% of the audience. Support programs include scholarships for the best students of state universities, partial grants, and selected international competitions.

Enrollment is less than 2% of students and young professionals (official reports).

Data completeness assessment: education indicators are available in the UNDP, UNESCO, OECD, coverage is 83%.

Final Summary Table

The main conclusions

Strengths. Rich natural and resource heritage: Chad has large reserves of oil, ore, uranium, gold, and freshwater in the Lake Chad basin. With stable management, this potential can provide the country with a strong resource platform for export and domestic development.

Cultural and ethnocultural diversity: Chad has about 200 peoples with unique traditions, languages, and ethnic cultures. A rich craft, music, dance and culinary heritage is preserved, major ethnic festivals are supported, there are UNESCO sites and original monuments of world history. Strategic military autonomy: Chad, despite the terminated agreements with France, is actively modernizing the army, supports one of the largest armies in the region, and retains the ability to act independently (participation in peacekeeping operations, successful border and border control).

Multiculturalism and minority support policy: In recent years, programs have been implemented to support national minorities, and recognition of the languages and cultures of small nations has been enshrined in legislation and education policy.

Internal currency and integration into the CFA area: Internal settlement stability is ensured by the use of the CFA franc, macroeconomic inflation is maintained by regional monetary policy

Weaknesses. Extremely low indicators of human development: HDI (0.416) is among the five lowest in the world, adult literacy is below 30%, almost 60% of the population lives below the poverty line, educational coverage and government spending are very low.

Technological and digital backwardness: Internet penetration <23%, R&D costs 0.3% of GDP, import and tech dependence in almost all high-tech sectors, there is no national industry and military-industrial complex, public services are digitizing extremely slowly.

Food insecurity and low energy independence: more than 15% of the population is facing hunger, the country depends on precipitation, climate fluctuations, and the level of electrification is one of the lowest in the world.

Limited educational and scientific programs: a very low proportion of STEM, less than 5% of higher education coverage, foreign programs are presented only rarely, and state personnel programs cover less than 2% of young people. Weak institutional and managerial capacity: Government Effectiveness is among the lowest in the world, there are no sustainable transparency mechanisms, and the security services and the army are controlled by a narrow elite.

Legal restrictions on the sovereignty of the issue: Chad does not independently control the monetary issue — financial policy depends on the regional institutions of the CFA zone.

Overall assessment. The cumulative sovereignty index of Chad is 156.7 out of 700 possible points (Extremely low — 22.5%), which places the country in the top - 187th place in the world top. Chad is a country of unique natural, cultural and human resources, with a pronounced ethno-cultural wealth, which was a strong stronghold of the Sahel security state.

However, these advantages are weakened by extremely low levels of human capital, institutional weakness, underdeveloped infrastructure, and technological dependence on the outside world.

National sovereignty lies more in the sphere of resources and cultural identity than in modern indicators of governance, economics and high technology. The sovereignty profile indicates that Chad relies on natural and cultural resources, a new international positioning strategy, defense and border independence, and an ethnocultural identity.

The main risks are technological, economic and social backwardness, weak human capital, dependence on external support, low institutional and educational efficiency. Sovereign development is possible if a new balance is maintained between independence and multilateral support.