Over the weekend, Chad’s President Idriss Déby dies after sustaining injuries during clashes with rebels in the north of the country. The announcement comes just a day after provisional election results projected his win, which would mark his sixth term in office. The government and parliament have been dissolved as a result of the incident, borders have been shut, and curfew has been imposed on the population. Mr. Déby has spent three decades in power, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. A military council will govern the country for the next 18 months until democratic elections can be held.
Mr. Déby was previously an army officer, resuming power in 1990 through an armed uprising. Déby was also a long-time ally of France and other Western powers, aiding the entities in battles against jihadist groups in the Sahel region of the continent. Ahead of the election, which was held on April 11, Mr. Déby promised to bring peace and security to the region in his next term. On election day, Mr. Déby and other officials visited soldiers fighting the group the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACAT). The group mounted an attack on the border post. According to army reports, 300 insurgents were killed and 150 were captured, while five government soldiers were killed.
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