Army spokesman Azem Bermendao Agouna said Deby – a longtime Western ally – had died “as a result of his injuries on the front lines.”
Rebels, who have been trying to oust Deby since 2016, had claimed a number of victories in the past week and clashes were reported in the north of the country over the weekend.
Rebels from Chad’s Front for Change and Concord – known in French as Front Pour l’Alternance et La Concorde au Tchad (FACT) – said it overrun a military garrison in Gouri on Friday. The claim was denied by the government, which instead said the rebels had been defeated.
On Monday, FACT said Deby was injured and on the run.
“True to the oath taken to the nation and the Chadian people, the Marshal of Chad, President of the Republic, Head of State, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Idriss Déby Itno, has just made his final defense of the sovereign nation on the battlefield,” said Agouna in his statement: “It is with deep bitterness that we announce to the Chadian people the death on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 of Chadian Marshal Idriss Déby Itno as a result of his injuries at the front,” he said.
Agouna said a transitional military council would take charge of the country for 18 months “to ensure the defense of our dear country facing this war against terrorism and evil forces.”
According to Agouna, Deby’s son, General Mahamat Kaka, will serve as chairman of the transitional council.
He promised that there would be “free, democratic and transparent elections in the spirit of sacrifice for which the Marshal fought in his lifetime.”
The military declared a period of 14 days of national mourning and instituted a night clock. Air borders would close until further notice.
The announcement came a day after preliminary results suggested that Deby, who has been in power for 30 years, had won a sixth consecutive term.
Chad worked closely with Nigeria and Cameroon in the fight against the militant group Boko Haram and was part of a joint task force fighting the insurgency in the region.
Chad borders Libya, the Darfur region of Sudan, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and the Central African Republic and there are fears that Deby’s death threatens the stability of the region. FACT claims it controls Chad’s Tibesti region, which borders Libya.
Mohammed Yahaya, the representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Nigeria, told CNN: “The worst-case scenario is a Libyan kind of disintegration in a highly uncertain and conflict-ridden region. the region. If there was a disintegration that would lead to a greater flow of arms and an encouraged Boko Haram, it should concern every policymaker and security actors in Nigeria. “
Yahaya said President Deby played an important role for the international community as a “security anchor” in the region and their initial thoughts would be how to ensure an “orderly transition” in the country to prevent further instability.
Deby was someone the international community relied on to bring security. He also contributed troops to Mali during the uprising there, so since I heard the news is ‘what’s next?’ and how can the international community assure and support the country during this difficult transition, “he said.