The stunning announcement came just hours after electoral officials had declared Idriss Deby Itno the winner of the April 11 presidential election, paving the way for him to stay in power for six more years.
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.
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.
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