Chad interim President announces decision to run in forthcoming election

In Chad, the interim President, Mahamat Idris Deby,has declared his intention to run for presidency ahead of the presidential election. The declaration follows a chaotic week that led to the killing of an opposition figure and the arrest of his uncle, General Saleh Deby Itno…

Chad’s interim president, Mahamat Idriss Deby, has announced his plans to run in the forthcoming presidential election.

His declaration of interest came after a chaotic week in which opposition politician Yaya Dillo was shot and killed in the capital, N’Djamena, sparking concerns from the European Union.

The killing of an opposition politician on Wednesday in controversial situations has exposed fractures in the ruling elite at a politically sensitive time in Central Africa, as the country prepares for the promised restoration of democratic government through elections.

Also on Friday, the government confirmed that an uncle to the interim leader, General Saleh Deby Itno, had been arrested following Wednesday’s events.

While addressing supporters and state officials, interim President Deby declared his candidacy for the May-June election in a speech that made no reference to the killing of the opposition figure or his uncle’s arrest.

Deby said he accepted his nomination with a mixture of honour, humility, responsibility, and gratitude.

In the meantime, the diplomatic service of the European Union has expressed concerns following the recent violence in N’Djamena, the capital.

It further called for a probe and demanded that those responsible be established in “a credible and independent way.”

“These events undermine the efforts needed to ensure a transparent, pluralist, inclusive and peaceful transition,” it said in a statement.

Chad has witnessed a series of suppressed protests caused largely by the decision of the interim president to postpone the election for several months after he seized power in 2022 following the killing of his father, Idris Deby, in clashes with rebels.