Version française Petition on "Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh" Subscription for the Prize "Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh". A petition of the international mathematical community, following the initiative of the Mathematical Societies of France, SFdS and SMAI and SMF. Petition text Signatories Sign the petition All the colleagues, mathematicians and non-mathematicians, who feel concerned by this petition, are invited to sign. Messages Documents Contact: Aline Bonami (email: aline.bonami [at] univ-orleans.fr) Alain Godinot (email: adgodinot [at] orange.fr) Marie-Francoise Roy (email: marie-francoise.roy [at] univ-rennes1.fr)

Mr. President of the Republic of Chad,
Mr. President of the French Republic,

We want to know the truth concerning our colleague, the mathematician Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh, a Chadian politician and former minister. He has been abducted from his home on February 3, 2008 and we have no news from him since then.

Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh is, beyond his political activities, an active member of the mathematical community.

He completed his mathematical education at Université d'Orleans, where he defended his PhD thesis in 1978. He was appointed Professor at the Université de N'Djamena in 1985. His numerous positions at the University included

• the Chair of the Department of Mathematics (1985),
• the direction of the Center of Scientific Research (1986),
• the Rectorship (1990-1991).

In spite of his heavy administrative and ministerial duties, Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh succeeded always in maintaining a high level of teaching standards. In order to improve the scientific level of teachers at the University of N'Djamena, he negotiated in 1991 a collaboration between the University of Orléans and the University of N'Djamena, in association with INSA in Lyon and the University of Avignon. This agreement is still in force. It has been very successful. In addition to its goal of training, it has allowed Chadian teachers to establish stable and fruitful contacts with European and African Universities. Even called to other responsibilities, Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh was instrumental in the success of the project. He visited several times the department of mathematics in Orléans in this framework.

Since February 3, contradictory information circulates about the fate of Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh.

Since September 3, with the conclusions of the commission of inquiry on the events in the Republic of Chad from January 28 to February 8, 2008 and their consequences, we are now certain that he was abducted by forces Chadian National Army while they had regained control of N'Djamena after the departure of rebel forces. We are almost certain that he died in custody during the days that followed, has he been coldly murdered or has he succumbed to ill treatment.

We want to know the whole truth and see justice done.

The text of the petition has been modified on Septembre 15 to take into account the new information at our disposal. First version of the text of the petition (March 10, 2008).