Idriss Déby died as he lived. As a soldier. The president fell on Monday in the far reaches of the desert in the north of the country, during a clash against one of the many rebellions that agitate Chad. Rumors of its end had been swirling since Monday afternoon as armored vehicles suddenly surrounded the presidential palace. Expected in the evening for a victory rally, Déby, just reelected for a sixth term with 79% of the vote, remained invisible, increasing concern. Then, Tuesday, in a well-known sequence, the radio broadcasts stopped to make way for music. Shortly before noon, the army spokesperson, surrounded by generals, read a brief statement on television:
"Idriss Déby Itno has just experienced his last breath (...) on the battlefield."
The circumstances of his death remained, Tuesday evening, still uncertain.
According to several sources, Idriss Déby, 68, recently raised to the dignity of marshal, had taken the head of his troops
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