Chad’s President Idriss Deby, who ruled his country for more than 30 years and was an important Western ally in the fight against Islamist militants in Africa, has been killed on the frontline against rebels in the north. Deby's son, Mahamat Kaka, was named interim president by a transitional council of military officers, spokesman Azem Bermendao Agouna said in a broadcast on state television. Deby, 68, came to power in a rebellion in 1990 and was one of Africa's longest-ruling leaders, surviving numerous coup attempts and rebellions. LOVED THE FRONTLINEDéby had joined the army in the 1970s when Chad was going through a long-running civil war. A senior regional diplomat told Reuters: "We understand from our sources that he was indeed on or near the frontline.

Source: Libya Today April 20, 2021 10:51 UTC