General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who has led Chad’s military regime for the past three years, will be inaugurated on Thursday following a contentious election victory in the Central African country.
Deby officially secured 61% of the vote, defeating Succes Masra, who resigned as Prime Minister on Wednesday after just four months in office. Masra received just under 20% of the vote.
This inauguration marks the end of three years of military rule in Chad, a key player in the fight against insurgency in Africa’s volatile Sahel region.
After Chad’s Constitutional Council rejected calls to annul the election results, Masra acknowledged there was “no other national legal recourse” and urged his supporters to “remain mobilized” but “peaceful.”
Yaya Dillo Djerou, Deby’s cousin and a prominent opposition figure, was killed by the army after being accused of orchestrating an attack on the National Security Agency headquarters.
Deby assumed power three years ago following the death of his father at the hands of rebels, leading many to believe this election solidifies the Deby family’s hold on power.
Chad is France’s last military presence in the Sahel, and President Macron was among the few leaders to congratulate Deby on his election.
Macron, who attended Deby’s father’s funeral in N’Djamena in 2021, will send a delegation to the ceremony.
With several Sahel nations aligning with Russia, the level of representation from Moscow at the ceremony will be closely observed.
