President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet His Excellency Idriss Deby Itno, President of the Republic of Chad, and Mrs. Hinda Deby Itno, in the Blue Room during a U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit dinner at the White House, Aug. 5, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)
People drive past a Chad army tank near the presidential palace, after Chad’s President Idriss Deby, who ruled the country for more than 30 years and was an important Western ally, was killed on the frontline in a battle against rebels in the north, in N’djamena, Chad April 20, 2021. REUTERS/Oredje Narcisse
The son of Chad’s late president Idriss Deby, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno (also known as Mahamat Kaka) and Chadian army officers gather in the northeastern town of Kidal, Mali, February 7, 2013. REUTERS/Cheick Diouara/File Photo
People drive past a Chad army tank near the presidential palace, after Chad’s President Idriss Deby, who ruled the country for more than 30 years and was an important Western ally, was killed on the frontline in a battle against rebels in the north, in N’djamena, Chad April 20, 2021.
The son of Chad’s late president Idriss Deby, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno (also known as Mahamat Kaka) and Chadian army officers gather in the northeastern town of Kidal, Mali, February 7, 2013.
Foreign leaders began to arrive in Chad on Thursday for the funeral of slain president Idriss Deby as France backed the country’s new military leaders in the face of threats from rebels to resume an offensive on the capital.
The presidents of Guinea and Mali arrived in the capital N’Djamena, state television showed, despite warnings from the rebels that foreign leaders should not attend for security reasons. French President Emmanuel Macron was also due to travel to Chad overnight for the funeral on Friday.
A military council led by General Mahamat Idriss Deby took power after his father, who had ruled for 30 years and was a close ally of Western powers in the fight against Islamist militants, was killed in battle with the rebels on Monday.
General Deby, 37, has said the army will hold democratic elections in 18 months, but opposition leaders have condemned his takeover as a coup d’etat and an army general said many officers were opposed to the transition plan.
The Libya-based rebels, who are not linked to the Islamists, said on Wednesday they would end a brief ceasefire at midnight and were about 200-300 km (125-190 miles) from the capital.
They could not be reached for comment on Thursday. A Chadian military source told Reuters that as of mid-day there was no rebel activity.
France, Chad’s former colonial ruler, defended the military takeover on Thursday, saying it was necessary for security amid “exceptional circumstances”.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the military was justified in its actions as the speaker of parliament had declined to take charge.
“Logically, it should be (speaker Haroun) Kabadi…but he refused because of the exceptional security reasons that were needed to ensure the stability of this country,” Le Drian told France 2 television.
Deby, although criticised by human rights groups for his repressive rule over three decades, was a lynchpin in France’s security strategy in Africa.
About 5,100 French troops are based across the region as part of international operations to fight Islamist militants and France has its main base in N’Djamena.
