President of the Republic of Chad, Idriss Déby Itno, has died on Tuesday as a result of injuries he sustained while commanding military forces in battle.
The death of the president was officially announced by military representative Azem Bermandoa, who added that the President sustained wounds during combat operations north of the Chadian capital of N’Djamena.
Incidentally, the death of Déby comes on the same day when he was proclaimed winner of the latest presidential election in Chad, which took place on April 11. The victory of the now deceased president marked the sixth time he won the elections.
Idriss Déby came to powerin Chad in 1990, after having led a successful uprising against Hissène Habré, and ruled the central African country ever since.
His latest election, in which he was pronounced victor with 79% of the vote, was boycotted by several opposition parties, and caused an incursion by a rebel group known as the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), which started a military incursion into northern Chad from across the Libyan border on the election day. On April 17, the Armed Forces of Chad intercepted the rebels north of the capital, with clashes reportedly resulting in the death of 300 FACT troops. However, President Idris Déby, who personally supervised the military operations, was mortally wounded in the clashes.
The statement announcing the president’s death also ruled that the parliament of Chad would be disbanded, with a National Council of Transition taking over power in the meantime.
