N’DJAMENA, Chad (AP) – Rebels in Chad have threatened to oust the son of the country’s president after he was appointed interim leader of the strategic Central African nation, which on Wednesday raised the specter of ‘ a violent power struggle.
It was not clear how close the rebel column was to N’Djamena, the capital of 1 million people, and whether the army would remain loyal to Mahamat Idriss Deby after his father’s sudden death after three decades in power.
The rebel group that blamed the military for the assassination of President Idriss Deby Itno said in a statement on Wednesday that they had given his family until midnight to bury him. The fighters give no indication of their position after saying the day before that they were “on their way to N’Djamena at this time.”
The group known as the Front for Change and Concord in Chad again condemned Deby’s son if he accepted the presidency.
“We call on all Chadians who love justice to fight with us in the fight against the monarchization of our beloved republic.”
The group’s claim that they would advance to the capital could not be independently confirmed, but it immediately created panic in N’Djamena, who attacked another rebel group in 2008 before being repulsed by government forces.
The ruling Transitional Military Council has warned that the fight for control of Chad has not yet ended.
“The security situation remains very serious, given the persistence and scale of the terrorist threat,” said the council’s vice-president, Djimadoum Tiraina, adding that the army now “must prevent the country from falling into chaos and anarchy.”
Although fears existed that the rebels might reach N’Djamena, plans continued for a state funeral for Deby, a key ally of the former colonizer France. French President Emmanuel Macron is one of the heads of state expected to attend, French officials have confirmed.
The rebels urged the invited leaders on Wednesday to postpone the invitation for security reasons.
During Deby’s rule, France established its local military base in Chad to combat extremist violence in Africa. Deby also contributed invaluable troops to the UN peacekeeping mission in northern Mali that sought to stabilize the country following France’s military intervention in 2013 to remove Islamic extremists from power in the north.
However, human rights groups believe these contributions have helped protect Deby from international criticism as his government has become increasingly autocratic.
“For years, international players have supported Deby’s government for its support of counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel and Lake Chad basin and involvement in other regional initiatives, while largely undermining its legacy of oppression and violation of social and economic rights. home, ”Human Rights Watch said in a statement on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, Deby was elected to a sixth term after facing minimal opposition because several challengers chose to boycott, fearing the vote would be impeccable. To stop the opposition activists, the internet in Chad was interrupted several times before and during the April 11 voting day.
Authorities now believe the rebels guilty of killing Deby entered Chad the same day from southern Libya.
Deby, a former commander-in-chief of the army, came to power in 1990 when his rebel forces overthrew then-president Hissene Habre. Over the years, his government survived a number of armed rebellions until its death this week. An Army spokesman said Tuesday that Deby was killed during a visit to the front lines of the fight against the youngest rebel group that challenged his government.
The rebels now targeting the capital are led by Mahamat Mahadi Ali, a longtime Deby opponent who formed the shady group known in 2016 under his French acronym, FACT, after forming another rebel group, the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development, leave it.
Until earlier this month, FACT forces were based in southern Libya, where they were neutral in the Libyan conflict. A recent report by United Nations experts found that FACT troops in southern Libya were guarding Libyan military bases under the command of Field Marshall Khalifa Hifter.
The circumstances of Deby’s death could not be independently confirmed due to the remote location of the fighting. Some observers initially feared a coup would take place as the military immediately handed over power to his son for a transitional period of 18 months instead of following the constitutional protocol.
His son, Mahamat Idriss Deby (37), is best known as a top commander of the Chadian forces assisting a UN peacekeeping mission in northern Mali. Some in N’Djamena are already questioning whether 18 months in power will be enough for the younger Deby.
“There is a lot of uncertainty about how events in Chad will unfold: whether the army will remain loyal to Deby’s son and continue its efforts to ward off the advancing rebels,” said Cameron Hudson, a senior fellow at the Africa Center to the Atlantic, said. Council.
Chadians who are fed up with 30 years of Deby’s rule may also meet the demands for a leadership change, he said.
“In both scenarios, there is a high risk of civilian casualties and the likelihood that fleeing civilians or soldiers could export Chad’s instability to neighboring states,” Hudson said.
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Larson reports from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writers Sam Magdy in Cairo and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed.