(Photo credit: Gary Raynaldo  ©Diplomatic  Times)  The Embassy of the Republic of Chad on Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC  

By  Gary  Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

WASHINGTON  DC  –   The United States supports “a  peaceful transition of power in accordance with the Chadian constitution,”   U.S. Department of State spokesman Ned Price said Tuesday in response to the sudden death of Chad President Idriss Déby.   Déby was killed apparently while on the front lines fighting rebels, the Army confirmed.  Déby, 68, one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, first came to power in an armed uprising in 1990.  The late president’s son, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, 37, a four-star general, will  assume power of the  north-central Africa.  

“Our thoughts are with the Chadian people at this time. We stand with them. We continue to condemn recent violence and loss of life in Chad, and importantly, we support a peaceful transition of power in accordance with the Chadian constitution. That’s what is important here in terms of what this means going forward.”

-U.S. Department of State spokesman Ned Price 

Déby had just been declared the winner on Monday of the April 11 presidential election taking nearly 80 percent of the vote.  The Chadian army reported on Monday it had killed 300 rebels who waged a major incursion into the north of the country one week ago.  The circumstances of Déby’s death remains uncertain at the moment.  Déby’s  son will  be in charge of a  15-member military transitional council for a period of 18 months. 

Chad  Activated  1,200 troops to battle armed extremists in the troubled African Sahel region. 

Chad President Idriss Déby

In February,  Déby announced Chad planned to deploy 1,200 troops to battle armed extremists in the troubled African Sahel region.  

Déby was an ally of U.S. and France in the  battle against Islamist militant groups

U.S. Concerned over potential for regional instability in Sahel Africa

“We will be watching very closely.  We will continue work with our regional partners such as the G5 and the Multinational Joint Task Force to combat violent extremist organizations in the region. I suspect that and I am confident that work will continue.  In terms of what this means for the American embassy there, effective April 17th, the U.S. Embassy in Chad remains on ordered departure status. We continually adjust our posture at embassies, in consulates, missions around the world in line with local security concerns and the health situation on the ground. We are committed, even though we remain on ordered departure, to a strong, diplomatic partnership with Chad. That will not change. The charge remains in Chad and the embassy there continues to operate.”

-U.S. Department of State spokesman Ned Price