Popular Movement for the Liberation of Chad The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Chad ( " Mouvement Populaire pour la Libération du Tchad " or MPLT ) was a small rebel group active in Chad during the civil war . It was born in 1977 as a splinter group from Goukouni Oueddei ' s People ' s Armed Forces ( FAP ) , and originally assumed the name of Third Liberation Army of the FROLINAT . The formation originated from the expulsion of Aboubakar Abdel Rahmane from the Comité Militaire Interarmées Provisoire ( CMIAP ) of the FAP : he had protested against the bias in favour of the Borkou - Ennedi - Tibesti and the neglect in which the Kanem region was kept . Expelled , Abdel Rahmane , a semi - illiterate Kanembu , recruited some following among his people and became active around Lake Chad , in the Kanem area . In 1978 it became internationally known when it took as hostages two young Europeans who were travelling in the region ; the action caused an outcry to which all other factions participated , bringing in short to the release of the prisoners , especially thanks to the intermediation of Nigeria . This country had become the best supporter of the movement , even if it is not clear to what extent did this support arrive . The group assumed the name of Popular Movement for the Liberation of Chad in mid - February 1979 . It can be reasonably supposed that Nigerian support was decisive in understanding its invitation at the Kano Peace Conference organized by Nigeria between March 11 and March 16 , 1979 to put an end to the anarchy that that was devouring Chad from February 12 , when the central government had started collapsing . The first three invited , Félix Malloum , Hissène Habré , Goukouni , were obvious , as they represented respectively the government and the countries two greatest militias ( FAN and FAP ) ; but Abdel Rahmane led only a very minor force , even he had tried to swell it by recruiting among the criminal element of N ' Djamena , thing that is said to have acquired the MPLT a solid reputation for looting . Nigeria needed the MPLT so that it could press through its voice for an " African solution " and the immediate withdrawal of the French forces present in Chad ; and both goals were obtained with the Kano Accord , signed by the four factions on March 16 , which spoke of the pull - out of all foreign troops and the arrival of a peace - keeping inter - African force guided by Nigeria . A Provvisional State Council was formed to governed , with all signers taking two ministers ; in particular , President was Goukouni while Abdel Rahmane became Minister of the Interior . On April 29 a Transitional Government of National Unity ( GUNT ) took its place , and an MPLT man , Lol Mahamat Choua , became President , through heavy interferences from Nigeria . But he didn ' t remain long ; strong opposition from the factions excluded by the Kano Accord brought on September 3 , to a new GUNT government , in which all factions were represented , with Goukouni was President on the basis of the new Lagos Accord . In 1979 Abdel Rahmane died . This may have played a part in engineering the split within the MPLT , in which another mainly Kanembu militia was formed , the Western Armed Forces ( FAO ) , led by Moussa Medela , that deflected some of the MPLT ' s Nigerian support . The MPLT , reduced to a shadow of its former self , as the FAO remained in armed opposition to Habré since his ascent to power in 1982 , and is reported to have been still in the opposition in 1988 ; after this , the militia apparently plays no more role in Chad and disappears .