Who runs local government in Chad?
After the military transition of 2021–2024, Chad's December 2023 constitution set up 'autonomous collectivities' (provinces and communes) run by elected assemblies, and in December 2024 voters elected provincial and municipal councils on a wide scale for the first time. The state still runs a strong parallel administration of governors, prefects and sub-prefects. Sultans and canton chiefs remain powerful and have a constitutional advisory council of their own.
Republic of Chad · Unitary presidential republic · Central Africa
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Provinces (23) | Provincial council directly elected for six years (first elected December 2024); council elects its executive for three years. A governor appointed by the state supervises. | Both an autonomous collectivity and a state administrative unit. |
| Departments (115) | Prefect appointed by the state | Administrative unit only (no longer a self-governing tier under the 2021 restructuring). |
| Communes (420 planned under the 2021 law) | Municipal council directly elected for six years; it elects the mayor and executive for three years. N'Djamena has a special status with 10 arrondissements. | Local services; markets, sanitation, local roads, civil registration. |
| Sub-prefectures, cantons, villages and nomadic camps (ferricks) | Sub-prefects appointed; canton and village chiefs chosen by custom and recognised by the state | Local administration, tax collection support, conflict settlement. |
Three questions about local power in Chad
Are local leaders elected?
Provincial and municipal councillors are elected by direct vote for six years, and they elect their executives (mayors, council presidents). Governors, prefects and sub-prefects are appointed. Sultans and canton chiefs are chosen by custom and recognised by the state.
Which laws set up local government?
Provinces and communes (Title XIX), the High Council of Traditional Chieftaincies (Title XIV) and the role of customary authorities (Title XV) are all in the 2023 constitution. Ferrick leadership, water and school committees work mostly by custom or as associations.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
Executives answer to their elected assemblies, and voters can replace councils. The state exercises supervision (tutelle) through its appointed administrators. Chiefs answer to the administration, which recognises them, and to their communities.
Traditional and customary authority
The 2023 constitution gives traditional authority a stronger formal place than in most countries. Title XIV creates a 23-member High Council of Traditional Chieftaincies made up of sultans and canton chiefs; it is consultative and helps settle conflicts out of court. Title XV says traditional and customary authorities guard customs, help 'frame' the population, support the autonomous collectivities and are 'collaborators of the administration', with their status to be set by law. Customary rules apply in matters such as marriage and inheritance until codified, but customs contrary to public order or promoting inequality are not applied, and customary compensation (such as blood money, diya) cannot stop a criminal prosecution (Articles 171–173). Chiefs are especially important in herder–farmer disputes over land, water and grazing.
Community and neighbourhood power
Village development committees, water-point and school parents' committees, women's groups and Islamic and Christian associations organise much local life. Many pastoral communities are organised in mobile camps (ferricks) led by a camp chief. These link to the state through chiefs, sub-prefects and NGOs rather than through councils.
Points to know
- Before December 2024, local elections had only been held once, in 2012, in 42 communes on a trial basis.
- The December 2024 vote combined legislative, provincial and municipal elections for the first time; the main opposition party boycotted it.
- The 2023 constitution states that no local authority may supervise another: provinces cannot give orders to communes.
- Article 173: customary compensation (for example blood money) cannot replace prosecution in criminal cases.
Local terms
- Collectivité autonome
- A self-governing local authority (province or commune) with its own elected assembly.
- Chef de canton
- A traditional chief over a group of villages, recognised by the state.
- Ferrick
- A camp of mobile herders, led by a camp chief.
Sources
- Constitution de la République du Tchad (adopted by referendum 17 December 2023), World Health Organization, Compendium of health-related legislation (official text PDF), checked 14 October 2026
- Country profile: Chad, OECD–UCLG SNG-WOFI, checked 14 October 2026
- Democracy Tracker: Chad, October 2025, International IDEA, checked 14 October 2026
- Chad's Constitution of 2018 (revised 2020; superseded in 2023, for comparison), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
See also: Chad's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.