Chad’s president of three decades died of wounds suffered during a visit to front-line troops battling a shadowy rebel group, the military announced Tuesday, as the insurgents vowed to take the capital in what could become a violent battle for control of the oil-rich Central African nation. The military quickly named President Idriss Deby Itno’s son as the country’s interim leader, capping a series of stunning announcements that came just hours after the 68-year-old Deby had been declared winner of an election that would have given him another six years in power. “Chad is not a monarchy. There can be no dynastic devolution of power in our country,” the rebels said in a statement late Tuesday, vowing to press their fight for the capital. “The forces of the Front for Change and Concord are heading toward N’Djaména at this very moment. With confidence, but above all with courage and determination.” In 2018, following outreach efforts to African countries by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Deby became the first leader of his Muslim-majority country, which cut ties with the Jewish state in 1972, to pay an official visit to Israel. In 2019, Netanyahu visited Chad to officially store relations. Chad was the first Muslim-majority country in the area to embrace normalization with Israel, paving the way for other countries, such as Sudan, to follow in its footsteps. Israel’s National Security Council is following the situation in Chad but is not expecting the changes in the country to harm the ties between Israel and Chad, Yisrael Hayom reported on Wednesday. I send my deepest condolences to the people of Chad on the passing of President Idriss Déby. We will miss his bold leadership and always remember his historic decision to renew Chad's relationship with Israel. — PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 20, 2021 The circumstances of Deby’s death remained murky and some observers immediately questioned the events leading up to Tuesday’s announcement, raising the question of whether the military handing over power to Deby’s son instead of following the constitutional provisions in place amounted to a coup. Others raised fears of violence in the days to come. “There is a great deal of uncertainty around how events in Chad will unfold: Whether the army will stay loyal to Deby’s son and continue the effort to repel the advancing rebels?” said Cameron Hudson with the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council. Chadians fed up after 30 years of Deby’s rule could also align with the calls for change, he said. “Either scenario presents a high risk of civilian casualties and a likelihood that fleeing civilians or soldiers could export Chad’s instability to neighboring states.” Deby’s 37-year-old son, Mahamat, is best known as a top commander of the Chadian forces aiding a U.N. peacekeeping mission in northern Mali. The military said Tuesday he now will head an 18-month transitional council following his father’s death. However, Chad’s constitution calls for the National Assembly to step in when a president dies while in office. The military called for calm, instituting a 6 p.m. curfew and closing the country’s land and air borders as panic kept many inside their homes in the capital, N’Djamena. “In the face of this worrying situation, the people of Chad must show their commitment to peace, to stability, and to national cohesion,” Gen. Azem […]

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