Idriss Deby

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In Chad, President's Death Leaves Lots of Questions
In Chad, President's Death
Leaves Lots of Questions
the rundown

In Chad, President's Death Leaves Lots of Questions

Military says Idriss Deby was killed on the front line

(Newser) - Chadian President Idriss Deby was scheduled to give a victory speech on Monday to celebrate his latest election win, one that would extend a reign already 31 years long. Instead, the military announced on TV that the 68-year-old was killed while leading a battle against rebels. The surprise news has...

Longtime African Ruler Killed by Insurgents Day After Re-Election

President Idriss Deby of Chad is dead after ruling for 3 decades

(Newser) - Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno, who ruled the central African nation for more than three decades, was killed Tuesday on the battlefield in a fight against rebels, the military announced on national television and radio. The military said that a transitional council will be led by Deby’s son, Mahamat...

Chad Pardons, Frees French 'Orphan' Kidnappers

Chad's president pardons aid workers

(Newser) - The six men imprisoned for kidnapping 103 Chadian children have been pardoned and freed from a French prison, reports the BBC. Convicted in Chad and sentenced to hard labor, the members of charity group Zoe's Ark had been transferred to a facility in France, and received a pardon from Chadian...

Chad President Claims 'Control' of Country

Rebels supported by Sudan 'forced to flee,' Idriss Deby says

(Newser) - The president of Chad said today his forces had reclaimed control of the whole nation, the AP reports. "Security forces have repulsed the aggressors. The mercenaries directed by Sudan have been forced to flee," Idriss Deby said in his first public remarks since the uprising began last week....

Rebels Flee Chad's Capital
Rebels Flee Chad's Capital

Rebels Flee Chad's Capital

Government declares victory; insurgents say move allows civilians to escape hostilities

(Newser) - Rebels pulled out of Chad’s capital city of N’Djamena last night, temporarily ending a 2-day siege, but renewed hostilities broke out today, the AP reports. The rebels said they pulled back to allow civilians to flee, an offer hundreds took advantage of. But the interior minister insisted the...

Chadian Army, Rebels Battle a Second Day

Insurgents claim prez trapped in palace; foreigners evacuate

(Newser) - Gunfire echoed through the Chadian capital of N'Djamena today, as government forces struggled to fight back rebels on the second day of an offensive which they claimed had trapped the president in his palace, the AP reports. A spokesman for France's military—which maintains a presence in its former colony—...

Rebels Storm Chad's Capital in Coup Attempt

French, US embassies prepare to evacuate amid fighting

(Newser) - Rebels looking to overthrow Chad's president stormed the capital today, advancing toward the African nation’s presidential palace and ransacking its parliament building, CNN reports. Ndjamena has been the site of fierce clashes between rebels and government forces, and today, a military source told the AFP it “is in...

6 Charged in Darfur 'Kidnapping'
6 Charged in Darfur 'Kidnapping'

6 Charged in Darfur 'Kidnapping'

French nationals attempting to rescue children charged with kidnapping

(Newser) - Six French nationals who attempted to fly children from Chad to France for adoption have been charged with kidnapping. The Chad government also detained 11 other alleged accomplices, including the flight crew, reports the AP. Charity group L'Arche de Zoe had arranged French host families for 103 children they called...

Son of Chad Prez Probable Murder Victim

Body with head wound found in Paris suburb

(Newser) - French police have launched an investigation into the death of Brahim Deby, whose body was recovered in the parking lot of his apartment building, Reuters reports. Once touted as a possible successor to his father, the younger Deby had become a controversial figure, doing time in France for drugs and...

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