Foreign leaders arrived in Chad on Thursday for the funeral of slain president Idriss Deby despite warnings from the rebels that foreign leaders should not attend Friday’s funeral for security reasons. French President Emmanuel Macron, Guinean President Alpha Conde, and several other African heads of state arrived in N’Djamena for the funeral of Idriss Déby Itno slated to take place on Friday.
Deby who has been President of Chad since 1990 and was only just reinstated for a sixth term in office, died on Tuesday from injuries sustained at the battle frontlines against the Boko Haram terrorist group.
A statement from the new military council that took over after his death said the funeral will take place “in the presence of heads of state and government of friendly countries”. It will be held in Ndjamena, the capital, before his burial in his native region in the far east.
Although the 37-year old son of the slain president, General Mahamat Idriss Deby, has taken over as transitional president, President Idriss Déby’s death leaves a gaping question mark as regards the rising insecurity in the Chadian and Nigerian regions
