News came April 20 of the death of Chad’s president, Idris Deby. He came to power in 1990 and was one of Africa’s longest serving presidents, with more than 30 years in power.
This past weekend, several victories were claimed by rebels crossing over from Lybia who were trying to oust Deby for many years. On Sunday, Deby went to the front lines to visit his troops a couple hundred miles north of the capital when he was wounded. He later died from his injuries, which will likely plunge “a volatile region deeper into crisis.”
News of his death came a day after Deby was predicted to win a sixth term from elections that were held April 11. He was 68 years old.
He was a long-time ally of France and other Western powers and was influential in the battle against terrorist groups like Boko Haram. Being surrounded by volatile governments such as Nigeria, Lybia, and CAR, Deby brought a degree of stability and security to the region.
Although his rule became more and more controlling, now that he is gone, there is potential for terrorist groups to take advantage of the change of power to cause a significant rise in unrest in Chad.
Deby’s son will preside over a military council that will run the country for the next 18 months in a move that some question is unconstitutional.
In the meantime, “the army declared a 14-day period of national mourning and imposed an overnight curfew. Air and land borders would close until further notice.”
The US Embassy in Chad is also directing American citizens to “shelter in place” or to even leave the country, citing the “potential for unrest. Our colleagues in Chad say, “At this point all of our staff are safe and the situation is calm in the locations where those staff live. However, there are underlying tensions, especially in the capital city (N’Djamena), in this abrupt and unexpected transition.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56815708
https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/20/africa/president-deby-killed-frontline-intl/index.html