Chad’s military announced that President Deby, who has been in power for 30 years, died of his wounds today after fighting rebels. His son, Mahamat, was appointed interim president, but the African nation, considered a key strategic ally of the West, fears a period of uncertainty about its future.
Chad’s military noted that Idriss Deby Itno went to the front lines last weekend to command troops against the rebels, who launched a massive invasion of the north on election day April 11.
Chadian Battalion TV reported that military spokesman General Azem Bermandoa Agouna issued a statement saying that Deby “has just taken his last breath and he is on the battlefield defending this sovereign nation.
Azem added that Deby’s 38-year-old son, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, was appointed interim president by a transitional council made up of military officials.
The Chad government and parliament have been dissolved, and the military has declared a curfew and closed the borders, but vowed to hold “free and democratic” elections after an 18-month transition period.
Deby, 68, a career military man, has been in power since a successful coup in 1990 and is one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. He has ruled Chad with an iron fist for years, but he has also been a key ally of the West in fighting the jihadist movement in the troubled Sahel region.
Deby pushed through a new constitution in 2018 that will allow him to stay in power until 2033. Opposition figures have accused Deby of oppressive rule, and he faced rising public anger during his lifetime over his management of Chad’s oil wealth and his crackdown on opponents.
But in election results announced yesterday, Derby won his sixth term in office with 79 percent of the vote. Some opposition figures boycotted the election.
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