We wish to share a communiqué from the French Mathematical Society (SMF), the Applied and Industrial Mathematics Society (SMAI) and the French Statistical Society (SFdS) (Published on 04.28.2021)

The death of the President of Chad (April 20, 2021) gave the opportunity to the President of the French Republic to recall the active participation of the Chadian armed forces in the fight against terrorism aside French forces in the Sahel region.

However, this should not make us forget that, more than 13 years ago, on February 3, 2008, Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh, mathematician at the University of N’Djamena and spokesperson for the democratic opposition, was abducted from his home in N’Djamena by Chadian military armed forces. He almost certainly died in the next few days. The circumstances of his kidnapping and passing have never been clarified.

The “Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh” Prize was created in 2009 by our three learned societies to keep his memory alive and to continue his commitment to mathematics in Africa. Annual until 2017, the Ibni Prize is now awarded every two years to young mathematicians from Central and West Africa. It can finance a scientific stay of a few months, thanks to a subscription.

We do not forget Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh and we continue to call for truth the Chadian and French authorities.