Army spokesman Azem Bermendao Agouna said Deby – a longtime Western ally – had died “from his wounds on the front line”.
The rebels, who have sought to eliminate Deby since 2016, won a series of victories last week and clashes were reported in the north of the country over the weekend.
Chadian Replacement and Concord Front rebels – known in French as Front Pour l’Alternance et La Concorde au Tchad (FACT) – said on Friday they had overrun a military garrison in Gouri. The claim was rejected by the government, which said instead that the rebels had been defeated.
On Monday, FACT said Deby was injured and fled.
“Faithful to the oath taken to the nation and people of Chad, the Marshal of Chad, the President of the Republic, the head of state, the supreme commander of the armed forces, Idriss Déby Itno, has just blown his last defense of the sovereign nation on the battlefield,” Agouna said in a statement. “We are deeply saddened to announce the death on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, of the death of Chadian Marshal Idriss Déby Itno on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, as a result of his injuries on the front line,” he said.
Agouna said a transitional military council would take over the country for 18 months “to ensure the defense of our beloved country facing this war against terrorism and evil forces.”
Deby’s son, General Mahamat Kaka, will serve as chairman of the transition council, according to Agouna.
He promised that there would be “free, democratic and transparent elections, according to the spirit of sacrifice for which the marshal fought during his life.”
The army declared a 14-day period of national mourning and imposed overnight rule. The air borders would be closed until further notice.
The announcement came a day after provisional results suggested that Deby, who has been in power for 30 years, had won his sixth consecutive term.
Chad worked closely with Nigeria and Cameroon in the fight against the militant group Boko Haram and was part of a joint working group fighting the insurgency in the region.
Chad borders Libya, the Darfur region of Sudan, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and the Central African Republic, and there are fears that Deby’s death threatens the region’s stability. FACT claims to have control over the Tibesti region of Chad, which borders Libya.
Mohammed Yahaya, the resident representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Nigeria, told CNN: “The worst case scenario is a type of disintegration in Libya in a very insecure and conflict-affected region. Chad, led by President Deby, has put a lot of pressure on Boko Haram in the region. If there is a disintegration, there would be an increased flow of weapons and bold Boko Haram, which should address any political decision-makers and security actors in Nigeria. “
Yahaya said President Deby had played a significant role for the international community as a “security anchor” in the region and their first thoughts were on how to ensure an “orderly transition” in the country to avoid further instability.
“Deby was someone the international community relied on to bring security. He also contributed to troops in Mali during the insurgency there, so my concern since I heard the news is’ what’s next? ‘And how can the international community?’ to secure and support the country through this difficult transition, “he said.