Ramaphosa Condemns Violence That Led To Chad President's Death
South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the violence that led to the death of President Idriss Déby of Chad on Tuesday.
A Chadian army spokesperson announced on Tuesday that Deby succumbed to injuries that he sustained over the weekend while fighting insurgents in the north of the country.
A statement issued by the Presidency of South Africa read:
President Ramaphosa has, on behalf of the government and people of South Africa, extended his deepest condolences to the fallen President’s family as well as the government and people of Chad.
President Ramaphosa has furthermore expressed the concern of the South African government at developments in the Republic of Chad involving armed groups.
President Ramaphosa says an immediate cessation of violence is necessary to bring peace and stability to the Republic of Chad as part of ending conflict on the continent.
In a statement read out on state television yesterday, Chadian army spokesman General Azem Bermandoa Agouna said Deby, 68, “has just breathed his last defending the sovereign nation on the battlefield” over the weekend.
General Mahamat Kaka, the son of the deceased Chadian leader, was named interim head of state pending fresh elections that will be held after 18 months.
The news of Deby’s death came after provisional election results released on Monday showed that Deby had won a sixth term. He had been in power since 1990 following an armed rebellion.
Deby won 79.3 per cent of the vote in the 11 April presidential election, the results showed.
He had postponed his victory speech to supporters and instead went to visit Chadian soldiers on the frontlines.
