Chad junta chief announces intention to contest presidential election

Chad junta chief Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who took power in 2021 after the death of his long-ruling father, on Saturday announced he would contest a long-awaited May 6 presidential vote.

“I, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, am a candidate for the 2024 presidential election under the banner of the For a United Chad coalition,” he said in a speech.

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Deby Itno took power after the death of his father, veteran leader Idriss Deby Itno, in 2021 while fighting rebels.

He was proclaimed transitional president by the country’s ruling junta and promised a return to civilian rule and elections within 18 months but extended the transition by two years.