N’DJAMENA, Chad (AP) – Chadian rebels have threatened to oust the assassinated president’s son after he was named interim leader of the Central African strategic nation, raising the specter of a violent power struggle on Wednesday.
He was not sure how close the rebel column was to N’Djamena, the capital of 1 million people, or whether the army would remain loyal to Mahamat Idriss Deby after the sudden death of his father after three decades in power.
The rebel group accused by the army of killing President Idriss Deby Itno said in a statement on Wednesday that it would allow the family to bury him until midnight. The fighters gave no indication of their positions after saying the day before that “they were heading for N’Djamena right now.”
The group known as the Chad Change and Concord Front in Chad again condemned Deby’s son who took over the presidency. The 37-year-old army commander was elected to lead an 18-month transition instead of following the constitutional protocol after his father’s death.
“We call on all justice-loving Chadians to join us in this fight to stop our dear republic from becoming a monarchy,” the statement said.
In an attempt to further legitimize the position of Mahamat Idriss Deby, the president of the National Assembly said late Wednesday that he supports the decision to bypass him and appoint a military council to lead the transition. The statement came amid shouts from opposition figures that the constitution’s rules for presidential succession had not been followed.
The rebel group’s claim to advance on the capital could not be independently verified, but it created panic in N’Djamena, which another rebel group attacked in 2008 before being repulsed by government forces.
The ruling Transitional Military Council also warned that the fight for control of Chad had not yet ended.
“The security situation remains extremely serious, given the persistence and scale of the terrorist threat,” said Council Vice President Djimadoum Tiraina, adding that the military must now “prevent the country from sinking into chaos and anarchy.”
However, even as fears were feared that the rebels could reach N’Djamena, plans continued on Friday for a state funeral for Deby, a key ally of the former French colonizer. French President Emmanuel Macron is among the heads of state expected to attend, French officials have confirmed.
However, the rebels on Wednesday called on state leaders invited to “postpone the invitation for security reasons.”
During Deby’s rule, France established its regional military base in Chad to combat extremist violence in Africa. Deby also contributed invaluable troops to the UN peacekeeping mission in northern Mali, which sought to stabilize the country after France’s 2013 military intervention to oust Islamic extremists from power in the north.
Human rights groups say these contributions have helped protect Deby from international criticism as her government has become increasingly autocratic.
“For years, international players have supported Deby’s government in its support for counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel and Lake Chad and involvement in other regional initiatives, while turning a blind eye to its legacy of repression and violations of social and economic rights at home, “Human Rights Watch said in a statement on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, Deby was elected to a sixth term after facing minimal opposition as several protesters chose to boycott, fearing the vote would be rigged. In a bit to counter opposition activists, the internet in Chad was disrupted several times before and during the April 11 voting day.
Authorities now believe the rebels accused of killing Deby entered Chad on the same day in southern Libya.
Deby, a former army commander-in-chief, came to power in 1990, when his rebel forces overthrew then-President Hissene Habre. Over the years, his government survived a number of armed rebellions until his death this week. An army spokesman said Tuesday that Deby had been killed while visiting the front line of the battle against the last rebel group to provoke his leadership.
The rebels now targeting the capital are led by Mahamat Mahadi Ali, a longtime Deby opponent who formed the shady group known by its French acronym, FACT, in 2016 after leaving another rebel group, the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development.
Until earlier this month, FACT forces were based in southern Libya, where they claimed neutrality in the Libyan conflict. However, a recent report by UN experts found that FACT forces in southern Libya guarded the Libyan military bases under the command of Marshal Khalifa Hifter.
The circumstances of Deby’s death could not be independently confirmed due to the remote location of the fighting. Some observers initially feared that a coup would take place, as the army immediately handed over power to his son in place of the president of the National Assembly.
Mahamat Idriss Deby is best known as the top commander of Chadian forces assisting a UN peacekeeping mission in northern Mali. Some in N’Djamena are already wondering if 18 months in power will be enough for young Deby.
“There is a great deal of uncertainty about how events in Chad will unfold: whether the military will remain loyal to Deby’s son and continue its efforts to repel the advancing rebels,” said Cameron Hudson, a senior member of Central Africa’s Atlantic Council.
Chadians fed up with 30 years of Deby’s rule may also align with demands for a change of leadership, he said.
“Any of the scenarios poses a high risk of civilian casualties and a likelihood that the flight of civilians or soldiers could export Chad’s instability to neighboring states,” Hudson said.
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Larson reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writers Sam Magdy from Cairo and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed.