The president of Chad, Idriss Deby Itno, died on a battlefield on Tuesday in the fight against rebels who opposed his government, the Central African country’s army announced.
The news comes hours after election officials declared Deby – who has led Chad for more than three decades – the winner of a presidential election on April 11, paving the way for him to remain in power for another six years.
An 18-month transitional council will now be led by Deby’s 37-year-old son Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, the army said, while an 18:00 night clock is in effect.
In this 2016 file photo, President of Chad Idriss Deby Itno is seen in the presidential palace in N’Djamena, Chad. (AP)
(AP / file)
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The circumstances of Deby’s death could not be immediately confirmed independently due to the remote location of the battlefield, reports Associated Press. It was not known why the president would have visited the front lines in northern Chad or participated in the ongoing clashes with the rebels who opposed his government.
Deby, a 68-year-old former army commander, first came to power in 1990 when his rebel forces overthrew then-president Hissene Habre, who was later convicted of human rights violations at an international tribunal in Senegal.
Over the years, Deby has survived numerous armed rebellions and managed to stay in power until this latest uprising led by a group calling themselves the Front for Change and Concord in Chad.
The rebels in neighboring Libya are believed to have armed and trained before moving to northern Chad on April 11. Their arrival came on the same day that the president of Chad sought a sixth term on election day, which boycotted several top opposition candidates.
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Deby was a key French ally in the fight against Islamic extremism in Africa. He hosted the base for the French military operation Barkhane and provided critical troops to the peacekeeping force in northern Mali.
Deby’s son, Mahamat, served as a top commander of the Chadian forces participating in the operation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.