There have been rapid security and political developments in Chad since the announcement on official television on Tuesday regarding the death of President Idris Deby. According to the statement, Deby was killed due to injuries sustained during combat. The Chadian army announced a series of measures in an attempt to control the situation, including dissolving the government and parliament, forming a transitional military council, and closing the land borders. The army also pledged to oversee fair and transparent presidential elections.
According to the leader of the rebel "Front for Change and Concord," Mohammed Mahdi Ali, Idris Deby joined the fighting last Sunday, as clashes erupted in an area near the Kanem province in central-western Chad. The rebel leader stated that Deby was injured during the battles and was subsequently airlifted to the capital N'Djamena for treatment.
Chad has been experiencing a period of security instability for some time. On April 11, which was scheduled to be the day of the presidential elections, the Front for Change and Concord launched a major attack, leading to intense clashes between the rebels and the Chadian army, resulting in casualties on both sides.
The Tibesti mountain region, near the border with Libya, has seen ongoing confrontations between the Chadian army and the rebels of the Front for Change and Concord for several years. The region witnessed the fiercest confrontations in 2019 when French bombing operations were halted at the request of the Chadian government, allowing the rebels to advance in their efforts to overthrow Idris Deby.
