Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni eulogized former president of Chad Idriss Deby as true son of Africa who never shied away from any confrontation with terrorism.
In a message posted today on his Twitter account, Museveni made his emotions towards the slain leader, very clear.
“The tragedy in Chad is saddening. My heartfelt condolences to the people of Chad, the family of Late President Idris Deby, and the countless well-wishers from Africa and beyond. President Deby never shied away from any confrontation with terrorism, he was a true son of Africa.” The President posted.
Idriss Deby, Chad’s longest serving leader, was on Tuesday killed on the frontline against rebels in the northern part of his country. According to an army spokesperson, Deby succumbed to injuries resulting from gunshots on 20 April 2021 while commanding his army against FACT rebels during the Northern Chad offensive, at the age of 68.
His 37 year-old son, Mahamat Kaka, was later named interim president by a transitional council of military officers, in a country dogged by poverty and rebellion.
His death was announced a day after he was declared the winner of a presidential election that would have given him a sixth term in office having ruled the country since 1990.
News of his sudden death was met with tributes from numerous presidents; France’s Emmanuel Macron called him a “brave friend”, Cameroon’s Paul Biya said he served “tirelessly”, DR Congo’s Felix Tshisikedi called it a “a great loss for Chad and for all of Africa”, Mali’s President Bah Ndaw lamented his “brutal” death and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa called it “disturbing”.
President Déby was a key player in security strategy in the Sahel region and Chad is reputed for having one of the best-trained and best-equipped armies in West Africa, which is battling militants linked to both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group (IS).
With military honors, a state burial ceremony was on Friday held in the country’s capital N’Djamena, after which Déby will be laid to rest in his native region.
Deby’s burial ceremony was attended by French president Emmanuel Macron. Other visiting heads of state include the leaders of Guinea, Mali, Mauritania and Nigeria, who have all ignored warnings from the rebels that they should not attend for security reasons.
Some few similarities between President Museveni and Idriss Derby:
Both are leaders with a strong military background. Martial Idris Deby was regarded as a key player in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region while Museveni has played a key role in the fight against terror in East and Central Africa.
Both have been in power for more than 30 years and both presided over Constitutional reforms to extend their stay in power.
All is not well in Chad:
The interim leader, Gen Deby, has said the army will hold democratic elections in 18 months, but opposition leaders have condemned his succession as a “coup.” BBC on Friday reported that an army general has said many officers were opposed to the transition. A general strike has also been called in protest.
Front for Chance and Concorde (FACT) rebels also rejected the move but have called a temporary ceasefire while Friday’s funeral takes place.
In a statement on Friday, the rebels said their command center had been bombed two days earlier in an attempt to kill their leader. Its location, and details of any casualties, were not specified.
Uncertainty looms across the capital, Ndjamena, where government forces have stepped up deployment.