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Tag: Chad

  • Chad late ruler, Idriss Deby to be buried Friday

    Chad late ruler, Idriss Deby to be buried Friday

    Chad will bury veteran ruler Idriss Deby Itno on Friday as concerns mount over the loss of a lynchpin in the fight against jihadism in the Sahel and uncertainty over the country’s democratic future.

    President Emmanuel Macron of France, the former colonial power, will attend the ceremony along with a dozen other heads of state and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

    The funeral, complete with military honours, is scheduled to take place in the morning in N’Djamena’s main square, La Place de la Nation.

    The ceremony is to be followed by prayers at the capital’s Grand Mosque, after which Deby is to be laid to rest alongside his father in the village of Amdjarass next to his birthplace Berdoba, in the far east of the desert country near the border with Sudan.

    Chad, with a well respected fighting force, is central to the West’s fight against jihadists in the Sahel, where myriad Islamist extremist groups operate.

    France’s 5,100-strong Barkhane anti-jihadist force is headquartered in N’Djamena, capital of the country of 16 million.

    Chad was thrown into turmoil by Deby’s death, which was announced on Tuesday, just the day after he was declared the winner of an April 11 election — giving him a sixth mandate after 30 years at the helm.

    The army said Deby had died on Monday from wounds suffered while leading troops in battle against rebels who had launched an incursion from neighbouring Libya.

    The Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) has vowed to pursue its offensive after a pause for Deby’s funeral, with spokesman Kingabe Ogouzeimi de Tapol telling AFP that the rebels were “en route to N’Djamena”.

    On Monday the day of Deby’s reported death, the army had claimed a “great victory”, saying it had killed more than 300 FACT rebels and captured 150 others, with the loss of five soldiers.

    Meanwhile, allies of the late leader moved swiftly to ensure power remained in their hands, installing his 37-year-old son Mahamat, whose nickname is “Kaka”, as president and head of a transitional military council while dissolving parliament and the government.

  • Deby’s Death: AU must find solution to Chad’s problems – FG

    Deby’s Death: AU must find solution to Chad’s problems – FG

    The Federal Government says African countries must urgently find solution to challenges arising from the death of Chadian President, Idriss Deby, who was killed while fighting the Chadian rebels on Monday.

    The Minister of Defence, retired Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi, stated this at the special weekly briefing organised by the Presidential communication team on Thursday in Abuja.

    He said the call had become necessary to check possible infiltration of borders by bandits as well as influx of refugees into neighbouring countries.

    According to him, if there’s no security in Chad there will be a lot of trouble for all neighbouring countries.

    The minister said: “When we heard of this unfortunate killing of the Chadian President, we knew that problem is bound to be replicated among neigbouring countries and Nigeria will be most hit by his absence.

    “If there is insecurity in Chad, there will be a lot of problems.

    “But thank God, we have a lot of military activities with the Chad, Niger, Cameroun, we have all that military concern.

    “So, in the name of that Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF), all these countries, including Chad, are contributing countries for the operation.

    “We hope that very soon, we will find a secure way of the continuation of the activities we’re supposed to be doing.

    “The problem is now going to be aggravated because we are not sure the direction in which that country is going to face.

    “But I assure you that we are mindful of our borders, we are mindful of the development, and politically, the government is putting its head together to see how best they can restore the peace in that country.

    “I think we are on top of the situation. All we are praying is that African countries will find a solution to the problem of Chad and get in a more corrective society as respected by international organisations.”

    On recent attacks on police formations in the Southeast region, the minister warned that such attacks would no longer be tolerated.

    He also vowed that the killers of 12 soldiers in Benue would be brought to book, saying that “whoever touches the military has no regard for this country”.

    According to him, nine of 12 weapons belonging to the murdered soldiers have been recovered and arrests are being made.

  • Slain Chad leader Deby’s son named ‘president of the republic’

    Slain Chad leader Deby’s son named ‘president of the republic’

    Chad’s slain leader Idriss Deby’s son will take over as president in place of his father, according to a charter released on Wednesday by the presidency.

    It said General Mahamat Idriss Deby, 37, who on Tuesday was swiftly named transitional leader as head of a military council following his father’s death, will “occupy the functions of the president of the republic” and also serve as head of the armed forces.

    The charter repeals the preceding constitution and will be implemented as the “basic law of the republic,” according to its terms.

    The younger Deby has also been named “supreme head of the armed forces,” it said.

    Deby’s son had overseen his father’s security as head of the elite presidential guard and had often appeared alongside him.

    Mahamat Deby is best known as a top commander of the Chadian forces assisting a United Nations peacekeeping mission in the restive north of neighbouring Mali.

    He signed a decree Tuesday setting out a military council with 15 generals, including himself and 14 others known to have been part of the late president’s circle of loyalists.

    The council is tasked with an 18-month transition toward “free and democratic elections.”

    Mahamat Idriss Deby also chairs the “military transition council, the council of ministers, the councils and superior committees of national defence,” according to the charter.

    The new head of state will promulgate legislation adopted by the 69 members of the national transition council, who are named directly by Mahamat.

    The Transition Charter, which contains 95 articles, also guarantees “freedom of opinion, conscience and worship.”

    A transition government has been set up, whose members are named by the new president.

    “The members of the army who are called to the transition government are discharged from all military duties,” the charter said.

  • African Union mourns fallen Chadian President, Deby

    African Union mourns fallen Chadian President, Deby

    Chadian President Idriss Deby, who died in the battlefield on Tuesday, was a distinguished military leader, the African Union (AU) has said.

    President Deby was a great Statesman, the African Union Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said in a condolence message on Tuesday.

    Mahamat wrote that he learnt of President Deby’s death with “great dismay and deep emotion” while sending his condolence message to Chadians.

    President Deby, who rose to power in 1990, has been acknowledged for his fight against the Boko Haram insurgents and was on the frontline when he was killed.

    The Chadian leader had joined his troops to fight rebels marching towards the capital, N’Djamena, when he was killed.

    Meanwhile, the Chadian Transitional Military Council, which was formed after the death of the 68-year-old leader, has named President Deby’s son, Mahamat Kaka, the President.

    Deby was killed shortly after emerging winner of a recent Presidential election.

  • BREAKING: Newly re-elected Chadian President, Deby dies after sustaining injuries in battle against rebels

    BREAKING: Newly re-elected Chadian President, Deby dies after sustaining injuries in battle against rebels

    Chadian army on Tuesday announced the death of President Idriss Derby.

    He reportedly sustained injuries in the battle against rebels, one day after he wins elections for a sixth mandate.

    Chadian President Idriss Déby Itno, who has been in power for 30 years, died on April 20, 2021 from injuries sustained while commanding his army in fighting against rebels in the north over the weekend, a spokesman announced on state television.

    Deby, 68, “has just breathed his last defending the sovereign nation on the battlefield” over the weekend, army spokesman General Azem Bermandoa Agouna said in a statement read out on state television.

    Deby was re-elected to a sixth term with 79.32 percent of the votes cast in April 11’s election, according to provisional results from the electoral commission on Monday.

    Former prime minister Albert Pahimi Padacke came in second with just 10.32 percent in the presidential vote, while turnout was 64.81 percent, Independent National Electoral Commission chairman Kodi Mahamat Bam said.

    The first female president candidate in Chad’s history, Lydie Beassemda, came third with 3.16 percent.

    The provisional results still need to be approved by the Supreme Court after it studies potential legal appeals.

    After more than three decades in power, the victory of 68-year-old Deby was never in serious doubt after a campaign in which he faced a divided opposition lacking a major rival candidate and demonstrations were banned or dispersed.

    Officially nine candidates were running against Deby, but three withdrew and called for the vote to be boycotted — though the Supreme Court kept their names on the ballots.

    Deby campaigned on a promise of peace and security in a region that has been rocked by jihadist insurgencies.

     

  • Chadian president Idriss Deby wins re-election, extends 30-year rule

    Chadian president Idriss Deby wins re-election, extends 30-year rule

    Chad’s long-ruling President Idriss Deby Itno was re-elected to a sixth term with 79.32 percent of the votes cast in April 11’s election, according to provisional results from the electoral commission on Monday.

    Former prime minister Albert Pahimi Padacke came in second with just 10.32 percent in the presidential vote, while turnout was 64.81 percent, Independent National Electoral Commission chairman Kodi Mahamat Bam said.

    The first female president candidate in Chad’s history, Lydie Beassemda, came third with 3.16 percent.

    The provisional results still need to be approved by the Supreme Court after it studies potential legal appeals.

    After more than three decades in power, the victory of 68-year-old Deby was never in serious doubt after a campaign in which he faced a divided opposition lacking a major rival candidate and demonstrations were banned or dispersed.

    Officially nine candidates were running against Deby, but three withdrew and called for the vote to be boycotted — though the Supreme Court kept their names on the ballots.

    Deby campaigned on a promise of peace and security in a region that has been rocked by jihadist insurgencies.

    Chad’s army said Monday it had killed more than 300 rebels following a heavily armed group’s incursion in the country’s north after election day.

  • 55 killed in ethnic clashes, villages destroyed

    55 killed in ethnic clashes, villages destroyed

    At least 55 people were killed and more than 40 injured as three villages were burnt during fighting in the central African country of Chad, a governor told dpa on Friday.

    The clashes in the south-eastern region of Salamat erupted between different ethnic groups on Wednesday night.

    The affected were the villages around the provincial capital of Am Timan, according to Salamat Governor, Abel Yamabaye Massira.

    Dozens of injured people were being treated at hospital as of Thursday, he said.

    The reason for the violence remained unclear on Friday.

    Conflicts between population groups in the region often revolve around resources such as land and livestock as well as escalating revenge attacks or protracted ethnic tensions.

  • FIFA suspends Chad from football indefinetly

    FIFA suspends Chad from football indefinetly

    World football governing body, Fifa has suspended Chad from football with immediate effect, a decision taken by the Bureau of the Fifa Council.

    However, the suspension will be reversed as soon as the relevant government decisions have been revoked.

    “The Bureau of the Fifa Council decided to suspend the Chadian Football Association (FTFA) with immediate effect due to government interference,” a statement from the Fifa website read.

    “The suspension was prompted by the recent decisions of Chadian government authorities to permanently withdraw the powers delegated to the FTFA, establish a national committee for the temporary management of football and seize control of the FTFA’s premises.

    The suspension will be lifted once the relevant government decisions have been repealed and the FTFA and its management, led by president Moctar Mahamoud Hamid, have confirmed to Fifa that the FTFA premises are again under its control.”

    In December 2020, Fifa had disregarded a request from the country’s ministry of sports to dissolve the Chadian Football Federation.

  • CAF disqualifies Chad from Total AFCON Qualifiers

    CAF disqualifies Chad from Total AFCON Qualifiers

    Following the withdrawal of approval from the Chadian Ministry of Youth and Sports, CAF has decided to disqualify the Chad national team from the qualifiers for the Total Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021.

    Consequently, scheduled qualifiers between Chad and Namibia and Mali are canceled.

    According to the CAF media outlet, “In line with Article 61 read together with Article 64 of the CAF Regulations, Chad is considered a loser of both matches against Namibia and Mali.”

    Chad were playing in Group A alongside Mali, Guinea and Namibia. After four match days, Mali tops the group on 10 points, followed by Guinea (8 points) and Namibia (3 points). Chad were trailing the group on one point.

  • Boko Haram/ISWAP: Report lauds Nigeria’s leading role in Lake Chad counter-terrorism campaign

    Boko Haram/ISWAP: Report lauds Nigeria’s leading role in Lake Chad counter-terrorism campaign

    A special report by the Lake Chad Counter-Terrorism Crusade Network (LCCTCN) has applauded Nigeria for spearheading counter-terrorism campaign in the Lake Chad Basin region.

    The group’s commendation followed a thorough research and extensive analysis of the dynamics involved in the counter-insurgency operations of the member countries.

    In the report signed by the President, McCarthy Ronald, the group harked back to the genesis of the Boko Haram/ ISWAP menace, reawakening of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and how each nation has fared afterwards.

    According to the Lake Chad Counter-Terrorism Crusade Network, aside Nigeria, other countries have not displayed a substantial commitment to the regional efforts towards ending terrorism.

    While the Nigerian troops constantly led onslaught against the radical Islamic sect , neighbouring nations held back, especially Chad, with the terrorists finding refuge in their shores.

    To put a lasting end to the Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters, the Lake Chad group, however, recommended that other countries must emulate the efforts of the Nigerian authorities.