Mahamat Déby
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Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno (; born 4 April 1984) is a Chadian politician and military officer who has been the leader of Chad since 2021, first as President of the Transitional Military Council from 2021 to 2022, then as Transitional President from 2022 to 2024, and then as the 7th
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
since 2024 following his victory in the
presidential elections A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President. Elections by country Albania The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public. Chile The ...
. He is widely known in Chad by his nickname Kaka. He is also the General Secretary of the
Patriotic Salvation Movement The Patriotic Salvation Movement (, MPS; ) is the ruling political party in Chad. History After Idriss Déby, an army commander who participated in an unsuccessful plot against President Hissène Habré in 1989, fled to Sudan, he and his sup ...
since 2022. He gained power on 20 April 2021, succeeding his father and predecessor,
Idriss Déby Idriss Déby Itno ( '; 18 June 1952 – 20 April 2021) was a Chadian politician and military officer who was the sixth List of heads of state of Chad, president of Chad from 1991 until his death in 2021 during the 2021 Northern Chad offensive, No ...
, who died in action while commanding troops in the Northern Chad offensive. He previously served as the second in-command of the military for the
Chadian Intervention in Northern Mali Chadian intervention in northern Mali (, FATIM) refers to military intervention by Chad during the Mali War. Since its first deployment, the Chadian military has suffered 100 casualties. Timeline 2013 On January 18, 2013, the Republic of Cha ...
(FATIM).


Early and personal life

Mahamat Déby was born in 1984, the son of
Idriss Déby Idriss Déby Itno ( '; 18 June 1952 – 20 April 2021) was a Chadian politician and military officer who was the sixth List of heads of state of Chad, president of Chad from 1991 until his death in 2021 during the 2021 Northern Chad offensive, No ...
, who was then commander-in-chief of the
Chadian Ground Forces The Chadian Ground Forces (, ) are the main and largest component of the Military of Chad, Chadian National Army. Historically Chad has had one of the strongest armies in the Sahara Desert, Sahara region, larger than the Malian Army, Malian or Cen ...
, and a Gourane mother. Mahamat Déby is
polygamous Polygamy (from Late Greek , "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, it is called polygyny. When a woman is married to more than one h ...
and has three wives. His first wife is an ethnic
Zaghawa Zaghawa may refer to: * Zaghawa people * Zaghawa language Zaghawa is a Nilo-Saharan language spoken by the Zaghawa people of east-central Chad (in the Sahel) and northwestern Sudan (Darfur). The people who speak this language call it Beria, ...
woman. In 2010, Déby married his second wife, a Central African woman and the daughter of Abakar Sabone—a former
Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to Central African Republic–Chad border, the north, Sudan to Central African Republic–Sudan border, the northeast, South Sudan to Central ...
government minister, advisor to
Michel Djotodia Michel Am-Nondokro Djotodia (born c. 1949) is a Central African politician who was President of the Central African Republic from 2013 to 2014. He was the first Muslim to hold that office in the predominantly Christian country. Djotodia was a ...
, and leader of the
Movement of Central African Liberators for Justice Movement of Central African Liberators for Justice (MLCJ, ) was a rebel group in the Central African Republic led by Abakor Sabone. The group had splintered from the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity and was involved in fighting in the Central ...
rebel group. It is believed that Déby and his second wife have five children. Mahamat Déby's third wife, Dahabaya Oumar Souni, is a journalist and
media advisor A media consultant is a marketing agent or public relations executive that is hired by businesses or political candidates to obtain positive press coverage. Media consultants usually draft press releases to highlight positive achievements of a ...
who is considered the First Lady of Chad. Souni worked closely with her late father-in-law, President Idriss Déby, and was promoted to director of
public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...
for the office of the presidency from December 2019 until his death. In May 2021, Dahabaya Oumar Souni was appointed as media advisor to the presidency of the Transitional Military Council and now works alongside her husband, President Mahamat Déby, as a member of his group of technical advisors.


Military career

Mahamat Déby first enrolled at the Joint Grouping of military schools in Chad. He subsequently received training in France, at the military school of
Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence, or simply Aix, is a List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, city and Communes of France, commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. A former capital of Provence, it is the Subprefectures in France, s ...
. Upon his return he was enrolled in second promotion of semi direct of the school of officer inter arme and later was appointed to the service branch of the Security of State Institutions (DGSSIE), as a deputy commander of its infantry group. His first combat experience took place in April 2006 when rebels attacked the capital city of Chad and he later participated in combat in eastern Chad along with General Abu Bakr al Said, then director of police, Mahamat was given the rank of major afterward. In May 2009, he was made brigadier general and he shared command of Chadian forces during the
Battle of Am Dam The Battle of Am Dam took place in and around the eastern Chadian town of Am Dam on May 7 and May 8, 2009 when Chadian Army forces attacked a column of advancing Union of Forces for the Resistance (UFR) rebels. Battle At 11:30 on the morning o ...
, where the army defeated the rebels. Following his victory, he was appointed in command of the armored squadrons and bodyguards of the SERS. In January 2013, he was appointed second in command of the Chadian special forces in Mali under general
Oumar Bikimo Oumar Bikimo is a Chadian general who has held several positions as the head of Chadian contingents in international peacekeeping missions. Biography Bikimo was born in 1960 in Faya-Largeau, Chad. He studied in the United States between 1982 a ...
. On 22 February, he led his army against rebels in the
Adrar des Ifoghas The Adrar des Ifoghas (also Adrar des Iforas; Tamasheq: ⴰⴷⵔⴰⵔ ⵏ ⵉⴼⵓⵖⴰⵙ in Tifinagh; Adrar n Ifoghas; Ifoghas' Mountains) is a massif located in the Kidal Region of Mali, reaching into Algeria. It has an area of aroun ...
mountains in northern Mali leading to the
Battle of Ifoghas The Battle of Ifoghas, also known as the Battle of Tigharghâr or the Battle of the Ametettai, took place from 18 February to 31 March 2013, during the Northern Mali conflict. The French army and the Chadian army fought armed Salafist jihadist gr ...
. They eliminated a rebel base said to be of "significant importance", inflicting heavy losses upon the rebels but also losing twenty-six men in the process, including Abdel Aziz Hassane Adam, a commander of special forces. Mahamat took full command of the FATIM and has since been leading operations against rebels in the North. In 2014 he worked alongside the French military during
Operation Serval Operation Serval () was a French military operation in Mali. The aim of the operation was to oust Islamic militants from the north of Mali, who had begun a push into the center of Mali. Operation Serval followed the United Nations Security ...
. In 2014 he was appointed as director of the
General Directorate of the Security Services of State Institutions The General Directorate of the Security Services of State Institutions (, DGSSIE) is one of the intelligence agencies of the Republic of Chad and is tasked with presidential security, domestic military intelligence, and counterterrorism. The DGSSI ...
(), a presidential guard and special forces organization that replaced the former Chadian Republican Guard and reports directly to the head of state.


Military ruler of Chad

After Mahamat's father, Idriss Déby,
died Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sho ...
at the hands of
FACT A fact is a truth, true data, datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance. Standard reference works are often used to Fact-checking, check facts. Science, Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by ...
on 20 April 2021, the
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
announced that the elected government and
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
have been dissolved and that a Transitional Military Council led by Mahamat will lead the nation for 18 months. A new charter replaced the
Constitution of Chad The Constitution of the Republic of Chad () is the supreme law of Chad.Current Constitution of Chad Chad's eighth constitution since independence from France in 1960, it was adopted on 4 May 2018. The text establishes the Fifth Republic within th ...
, making Mahamat the interim President and head of the armed forces. Some political actors within Chad labeled the installing of the transitional military government a coup, as the constitutional provisions regarding the filling of a presidential vacancy were not followed. Namely, according to the constitution, the President of the National Assembly,
Haroun Kabadi Haroun Kabadi ( '; born 29 April 1949) is a Chadian politician. He was Prime Minister of Chad from June 2002 to June 2003 and was the President of the National Assembly of Chad from June 2011 to April 2021. Politics Kabadi is a member of the ...
, should have been named Acting President after president
Idriss Déby Idriss Déby Itno ( '; 18 June 1952 – 20 April 2021) was a Chadian politician and military officer who was the sixth List of heads of state of Chad, president of Chad from 1991 until his death in 2021 during the 2021 Northern Chad offensive, No ...
's death, and an early election called within a period of no less than 45 and no more than 90 days from the time of the vacancy. France, one of Chad's main foreign policy allies, defended the development as necessary, citing the "exceptional circumstances" caused by the rebellion. The broader international community also supported Déby, seeing him as a stable foothold in the Sahel. Déby was welcomed to
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, as a part of a summit for African leaders. Despite this recognition,
FACT A fact is a truth, true data, datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance. Standard reference works are often used to Fact-checking, check facts. Science, Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by ...
rebels have issued an open threat to the new government, stating that "Chad is not a monarchy" and vowing to continue fighting until they reach
N'Djamena N'Djamena ( ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Chad, largest city of Chad. It is also a Provinces of Chad, special statute region, divided into 10 districts or ''arrondissements'', similar to the city of Paris. Originally calle ...
and depose Mahamat Déby from power.


National Dialogue

After initially refusing to negotiate with insurgent groups, Déby softened his stance in August 2021, proposing a national dialogue. After his proposal was met with approval by rebel groups, peace talks between government and rebel representatives started two months later. These peace talks culminated in the 8 August 2022 peace agreement, signed in Doha, which established a national dialogue between Déby's government and the opposition, intended to prepare the country for elections scheduled for the second half of 2022. The peace agreement, though, was rejected by FACT and other opposition groups, as well as by civil society groups, who cited the absence of a guaranteed return to civilian rule. This lack of support for the peace agreement led to limited participation in the national dialogue. Without major opposition and civilian participation in the national dialogue, it concluded to extend the transition and postpone elections until at least October 2024. In March 2023, Déby pardoned 380 jailed FACT members, many of whom were among the 400+ sentenced to life in prison for the death of his father, in an attempt to have the group join peace talks, following their non-participation in the national dialogue.


October 2022 protests

The Transitional Military Council's 3 October postponing of elections was met with significant pro-democracy demonstrations on 20 October, the initial date of elections. These demonstrations primarily took place in the cities of N'Djamena and Moundou, and were primarily orchestrated by the opposition group Wakit Tamma and
Succès Masra Succès Masra (; born 30 August 1983) is a Chadian economist and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Chad from 1 January to 22 May 2024. Having formerly worked for the African Development Bank, in 2018 he founded Les Transformateurs, ...
, leader of the Les Transformateurs party. In response to the demonstrations, government security forces violently cracked down on protesters and the government orchestrated a days long internet blackout. The violence ended in the deaths of between 50 and 200, including journalist Orédjé Narcisse, and the arrests of at least 600. Of those 600+, 342 ended up sentenced to between 1 and 3 years in prison for charges related to the protests. The day was later deemed "Black Thursday" for the violence. Following the demonstrations, Déby blamed protesters and organizers for the violence, and justified the government response by claiming the protests were an organized insurrection. Following the protests, various opposition political parties were suspended, among them Les Transformateurs and the Chadian Socialist Party.


French support for presidency

He has received significant support in the West, most notably from France, its former colonial power.
Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France and Co-Prince of Andorra since 2017. He was Ministry of Economy and Finance (France), Minister of Economics, Industr ...
attended the funeral of
Idriss Déby Idriss Déby Itno ( '; 18 June 1952 – 20 April 2021) was a Chadian politician and military officer who was the sixth List of heads of state of Chad, president of Chad from 1991 until his death in 2021 during the 2021 Northern Chad offensive, No ...
, where he pledged his support for the junior Déby's government and for the stability of Chad, stability which France further supported through
Operation Barkhane Operation Barkhane (French language, French: ''Opération Barkhane'') was a counterinsurgency operation that started on 1 August 2014 and formally ended on 9 November 2022. It was led by the French military against Islamist groups in Africa's S ...
, which positioned a 5,000+ French force in the Sahel, with their headquarters in Chad. Déby also visited Macron at the
Élysée Palace The Élysée Palace (, ) is the official residence of the President of France, President of the French Republic in Paris. Completed in 1722, it was built for Louis Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, a nobleman and army officer who had been appointed g ...
in June 2021, where the two discussed the political transition in Chad. Despite the 2021 termination of
Operation Barkhane Operation Barkhane (French language, French: ''Opération Barkhane'') was a counterinsurgency operation that started on 1 August 2014 and formally ended on 9 November 2022. It was led by the French military against Islamist groups in Africa's S ...
, France has not demonstrated any wavering in their support of Déby and continues to position troops in the region, despite having moved the remaining core of their Sahel forces to
Niger Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...
.


Finance

In July 2021, he counted on
Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
for reconciliation and economic operations in the nation of
Chad Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...
. Under his administration Chad's
gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performanc ...
grew by 1.1% in 2021 and 2.4% in 2022.


Boko Haram

On 22 November 2022, an attack was launched by
Boko Haram Boko Haram, officially known as Jama'at Ahl al-Sunna li al-Da'wa wa al-Jihad (), is a self-proclaimed jihadist militant group based in northeastern Nigeria and also active in Chad, Niger, northern Cameroon, and Mali. In 2016, the group spli ...
in the village of Ngouboua, killing at least 10 soldiers of the
Chad National Army The Chadian National Army (; , ANT) consists of the five Defence and Security Forces listed in Article 185 of the Chadian Constitution that came into effect on 4 May 2018. These are the National Army (including Ground Forces and Air Force), the ...
. Déby had previously stated that the organization had been attacking civilians with increased frequency, as they "no longer adthe strength to hit bases". Despite significant territorial losses, Boko Haram has adapted by shifting to asymmetric tactics such as ambushes and suicide bombings, continuing to target both military and civilian sites in the Lake Chad region.


2022 Chad floods

In 2022, normal rainfalls occurred across
Central Africa Central Africa (French language, French: ''Afrique centrale''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''África central''; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''África Central'') is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries accordin ...
and
West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...
between July and August. In mid-August,
flood A flood is an overflow of water (list of non-water floods, or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant con ...
s began in
Chad Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...
, killing 22 people. An estimated 442,000 people were displaced and a
state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, o ...
was declared.


Election and civilian presidency

On 13 January 2024, Déby was announced as the nominee of the
Patriotic Salvation Movement The Patriotic Salvation Movement (, MPS; ) is the ruling political party in Chad. History After Idriss Déby, an army commander who participated in an unsuccessful plot against President Hissène Habré in 1989, fled to Sudan, he and his sup ...
for the
2024 Chadian presidential election Presidential elections were held in Chad on 6 May 2024. The elections followed 2023 Chadian constitutional referendum, a constitutional referendum held on 17 December 2023, following the death of President Idriss Déby in 2021. Incumbent transit ...
by party secretary Mahamat Zene Bada. After a raid on the home of his main opponent,
Yaya Dillo Djérou Yaya Dillo Djérou Bétchi (; 18 December 1974 – 28 February 2024) was a Chadian politician, and president of the opposition Socialist Party Without Borders in 2021 until his assassination in 2024. He was a cousin of President Mahamat Déby an ...
, by government forces on 28 February 2021 in which five of his relatives were killed, three other candidates had withdrawn in protest and fear of similar consequences. The attack was condemned by the
African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...
, while French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs
Jean-Yves Le Drian Jean-Yves Le Drian (; born 30 June 1947) is a French politician who served as Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs in the governments of Prime Ministers Édouard Philippe and Jean Castex (2017–2022) and as Minister of Defence under Preside ...
called for an impartial investigation into the incident. Yaya Dillo Djérou was killed by security forces three years later, on 28 February 2024. On 09 May, Déby was declared the winner of the 2024 election by the National Elections Management Agency (ANGE). According to ANGE, Déby won 61.3% of the vote while his chief opponent,
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
Succès Masra Succès Masra (; born 30 August 1983) is a Chadian economist and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Chad from 1 January to 22 May 2024. Having formerly worked for the African Development Bank, in 2018 he founded Les Transformateurs, ...
, won 18.53%. Just prior to the announcement, Masra claimed victory on Facebook, stating that he won a "resounding victory". The results of the election were announced two weeks earlier than expected. Déby was sworn in as elected president on 23 May. He appointed
Allamaye Halina Allamaye Halina (, born 1 January 1967), also known as Al-Lamaye Halina, is a Chadian diplomat and statesman who has been serving as prime minister since 23 May 2024. Early life and education Allamaye Halina was born on 1 January 1967 in Gouno ...
as prime minister following Masra's resignation on 22 May. In January 2024, a preliminary investigation was opened by the national financial prosecutor's office in France (PNF), for embezzlement of public funds and concealment “concerning the clothing expenses" of Déby in Paris. On 9 December 2024, the National Transitional Council elevated Déby to the rank of Marshal of Chad. On 21 January 2025, his brother Adam Idriss Déby Itno attacked Mahamat Idriss Déby in a letter, calling on him in particular to resign. On 5 June 2025, Deby ordered the suspension of visa issuances to US nationals in retaliation for the entry ban on Chadian citizens imposed by US president
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
the previous day.


See also

* List of state leaders by age#Youngest serving state leaders *
Military of Chad The Chadian National Army (; , ANT) consists of the five Defence and Security Forces listed in Article 185 of the Chadian constitution of 2018, Chadian Constitution that came into effect on 4 May 2018. These are the National Army (including Chadi ...


Notes


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Deby Itno, Mahamat Living people Chadian Muslims 1984 births Heads of state of Chad 20th-century Chadian politicians 21st-century generals Chadian military leaders Children of presidents People from N'Djamena Chadian anti-communists Leaders who took power by coup Zaghawa people Patriotic Salvation Movement politicians