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The Coup that Killed Idriss Déby
editOn April 19, 2021, Idriss Déby, the President of Chad, succumbed to wounds sustained during the Northern Chad offensive.
Idriss Déby became president in 1990 during a famous coup where his army marched unopposed into Chad. He was formally made president in 1991, and he was then elected in 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, and was to be elected in 2021. However, a particularly powerful force did not want the "illegal president" of sorts to be elected. And thus, they rebelled.
The Northern Chad offensive began simply, on April 11, 2021, when Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) launched an attack on Northern Chad, in the Tibesti Region. Idriss Déby had apparently won by a large landslide during the 2021 Chad elections, and ultimately, his opponent refused to concede. On that day, FACT launched their border attack.
Idriss Déby led his armies to fight the FACT rebels. His actions coincided with a large-scale battle in Northern Kanem. Sometime during or sometime after the resulting action, Déby was shot to death by FACT rebels.
Circumstances of the death
editIdriss Déby's death appears to be that of a heroic last stand, but details are very marginal.
A hypothesis is that Idriss Déby was killed as he charged into the frontlines against FACT. Déby's death by gunshot wounds was confirmed on April 20, 2021, and so it is very easily believable that, basically, his death was this cause.
Some say that perhaps Idriss Déby was shot in the crossfire, but there is still very little evidence in the actuality of this, and it is very unlikely considering certain circumstances. At this time, it is simply believed that Idriss Déby was the victim of a last stand.
The aftermath of Idriss Déby's death
editIn the wake of the death of Idriss Déby, the Chadian Parliament was dissolved, on April 20, 2021. In its place, Déby's son Mahamat Déby Itno formed the Transitional Military Council in the place of the Chadian Parliament.
The Government of Chad also collapsed shortly after the assassination. As a simple reminder, Idriss Déby was the President of Chad ever since his rebels marched into Chad during the Chadian coup of 1990 and, thus, it appears that Chad has been turned into a militarized state.
On April 23, 2021, the funeral of the late Chadian President was held. Thousands paid their respects, in the streets, and the French and Guinea Presidents both attended the funeral. It is perhaps one of the largest-scale funerals in Chad's history.
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