After independence was granted, Chad had no "national identity" recognizable to the population at large. Ethno- regional traditions formed the framework for group identification, with the "nation" only as an abstract concept. Southerners (who were the first to clamor for independence) formed the state elite, but failed to build a representative or democratic political system. Rebellion in northern regions emerged, notably that of the FROLINAT (National Liberation Front) movement in 1966. Group tensions were fueled by the civil wars of the
1970s and 1980s.