(Credit: africom.mil) Army Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, Commander of U.S. African Command testifies before the House Armed Services Committee regarding national security challenges and U.S. force posture in the Centcom and Africom areas of operation and related policy issues, on Tuesday, Apr. 20, 2021 in Washington D.C.
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
WASHINGTON – Central African nation Chad has plunged into turmoil after the military announced the sudden death of its President Idriss Déby. The late president 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. Déby,’s son, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, 37, a four-star general, will assume power of Chad. The circumstances of Déby’s death remains uncertain at the moment. News of the Chadian president’s death came just as the top commander of U.S. Africa Command Army Gen. Stephen J. Townsend was testifying before the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday morning regarding national security challenges. Gen. Townsend gave and assessment of what AFRICOM knows thus far regarding the Chadian president’s death.
“As you know this is sort of a breaking news story. As I walked in here this morning, we learned about the reported and confirmed death of President Deby. We don’t know how exactly he got killed. But the report is he was killed in action up there facing off with a column of rebels that are not terrorists. They’re not ISIS. They’re not Al-Qaeda . They are actually anti regime in Chad. They were based in southern Libya. They mounted up in several hundred vehicles and they transited a long way across the Chadian desert toward the south the Chadian government forces started engaging them. They were supported by the French. We observed this and it looked like the column had made the decision to withdraw. They were about to withdraw we think and then the news of President Deby death became known.”
-U.S. AFRICOM Commander Army Gen. Stephen J. Townsend
President Déby and Chad was a strong supporter of the U.S. and France counter-terrorism operations in the Africa Sahel region. Déby’s army has participated in military exercises conducted by the United States.
“It’s unclear what this means for our relationship there. His son, President Debys son , former intel chief, has been appointed as the interim president. We expect that he is inclined towards good relationships with France and the United States. We think that will continue. There could be some potential for violence and we are working closely with our country team there. Our Embassy did a precautionary drawdown of personnel to a minimal staff and we also have some military folks there working with the French and the Embassy. So we are watching this very closely to keep Americans safe while this becomes a little more clear.“
-U.S. AFRICOM Commander Army Gen. Stephen J. Townsend
(Credit: Wikipedia) Central African nation Chad borders southern Libya where anti-Chad regime rebels are based.
The rebel incursion began on election day when FACT (the Front for Change and Concord in Chad) mounted a border attack from Libya with the goal of overthrowing the Chad President. 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. FACT accused the Chad government of acting like a monarch as Déby’s 37-year-old-son, four-star General Mahamat Idriss Déby was swiftly sworn in as the nation’s interim president without debate. Apparently, there is a constitutional protocol allowing for the speaker of the parliament should have taken power.
Rep. Matt Gaetz Warns The Events in Chad Suggests Move Toward authoritarianism.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, of the U.S. House of Representatives, and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, suggested the fast moving events in Chad following the death of the president is a move toward authoritarianism.
“It sort of seems when a President who took power through a military coup then dies in a battle against political rebels and not religious extremists and then gives rise to his son being selected by the national council. Its not the strongest case for emerging democracy in Africa. It seems to suggest more of a move toward authoritarianism. I think that is something we should all watch carefully.”
-U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz
