The exact circumstances of his death are still unclear, but it appears that Deby was shot on April 17 when his troops were fighting a rebel group in the desert north of the capital N’djamena.
A military statement said he had taken control of the operation during the heroic battle against Libya. He was wounded during the fighting and died after being repatriated to N’Djamena. ‘
According to the rebels, Deby was taken back to the capital. One highly positioned source of information told CNN that Deby was wounded after plans to negotiate with the northern rebel leaders quickly collapsed into fierce fighting, killing ‘four of his generals on the ground’.
The information source, which specializes in Libya, cites a source in the rebel faction who was informed about the incident.
CNN could not confirm the allegations, but both sides reported heavy clashes around the city of Mao in the Kanem region that day – about 185 kilometers north of the capital.
The rebels – the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) – entered Chad from southern Libya last week and have already seized much of the Tibesti region. They declared their intention to march to the capital.
It was perhaps no surprise that Deby was at the forefront of the fight. Before taking power, he received military training in France and was the most important military adviser to his predecessor, Hissene Habre, whom he overthrew in 1990.
Just last year, he went to the front lines around Lake Chad while the army was fighting the terrorist group Boko Haram. Above all, Deby was a military man.
In 2006, when Chad was inundated with refugees fleeing the Darfur conflict in Sudan, Deby told Nic Robertson of CNN: “I am the only president who says we must wage war to bring peace. It is in “Bosnia. Why not Darfur? ‘If necessary, let’s bring peace through violence.’
When Deby traveled north over the weekend, he had just won a sixth term in office, in an election boycotted by much of the opposition, to extend his 30-year grip on power.
Accounts of N’djamena since his death were released on Tuesday, describing the atmosphere as gloomy and anxious, with many shops closed.
Most Chadians knew no other leader. Before this year’s election, Deby said: “I know in advance that I will win, as I have done for the past thirty years.”
The fight against jihad
Deby’s death deprives France – the former colonial power – of one of its most trusted allies in Africa, and a cornerstone in combating the spread of Islamic terrorist groups in the Sahel.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s office paid tribute to him on Tuesday, saying France had lost a “brave friend”. According to the French government, Macron will also attend Deby’s funeral on Friday.
But his death also ushers in uncertain times for the country itself.
The French army has about 5,000 troops fighting Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and other terrorist groups in the Sahel region, called Operation Barkhane.
Chad was its main ally in the protracted conflict in Mali and was at the forefront of the conflict with Boko Haram around Lake Chad, which borders northern Nigeria.
Chad has borders with six countries, including the Central African Republic, Niger and Sudan.
It is a volatile neighborhood, and entering Chad from outside its borders is common. Some analysts believe that the Chadian army is struggling too much with its local role and that it regularly faces revolt at home.
The military transitional council that will now lead the country is led by Deby’s son, Mahammat Kaka, who is already a general at the age of 37.
He has been in the military since his teens and has seen service in northern Chad, according to a biography published by the council. On Wednesday, the younger Deby signed a declaration with the names of the fifteen members of the council – all military figures,
According to a charter published on Wednesday, the transitional council will lead Chad for 18 months – but it could be extended.
The charter replaces Chad’s constitution, under which the president of the National Assembly was to become interim president. The younger Deby promised ‘free, democratic and transparent elections’.
France has moved quickly to support the transition and said in a statement on Tuesday that it “expresses its strong commitment to the stability and territorial integrity of Chad”.
The United States has taken a different approach, saying it supports “a peaceful transition of power in accordance with the Chadian constitution”, according to the Twitter account of the State Department spokesman.
A mountain of challenges
The question is whether the younger Déby has the political skills to run Chad’s many competitive constituencies – ethnic and military.
His father came to power during his three decades with several rebellions, often with the help of France.
On at least two occasions, rebel forces reached the capital. In February 2019, French planes were involved in another rebel group – led by Deby’s own cousin – that Chad entered from Libya, the first such intervention by France since 2008.
Some commentators believe that French military support for Déby has become almost unconditional.
Chad viewer Marielle Debos wrote in 2019 that French attacks on Chadian rebels were a “sign that France now supports Deby at all costs, while ignoring the regime’s authoritarian practices and human rights violations.”
The younger Déby faces a mountain of challenges. Four years ago, the United States Institute for Peace warned that whoever succeeded his father, “democratically or otherwise,” should not only prioritize the loyalty of the security forces, but also their ability to intervene in difficult theaters. ensure.’
Add to that an economy hit by depressed oil prices, and rebel movements revived by the death of his father.