Buhari Meets With Chad’s Transitional President, Mahamat Deby

Buhari Meets With Chad’s Transitional President, Mahamat Deby

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday, met with Chad’s Transitional Military President, General Mahamat Idriss Deby, behind closed doors.

The meeting held at the forecourt of the Statehouse in Abuja.

It was gathered that Derby is on a day official visit to Nigeria after visiting the Republic of Niger on May 11.

According to NAN, Deby’s visit to Nigeria is aimed at formally introducing himself to Buhari, who is considered to be one of the most influential leaders in the West African sub-region and Africa at large.

Other matters expected to be discussed at the meeting are the menace of terrorism and arms proliferation threatening the peace and security of the sub-region.

General Mahamat came to power after his father, President Idriss Déby Itno, died following clashes with rebels in April 2021 in the north of the country.

The so-called Transitional Military Council (CMT) had pledged to restore democracy to the poor Sahel country within 18 months after what the opposition condemned as an “institutional coup”.

Deby’s 37-year-old son Mahamat, the country’s new strongman, named a government comprising 40 ministers and deputy ministers, junta spokesman Azem Bermandoa Agouna said in a televised statement.

Deby also created a new national reconciliation ministry to be headed by Acheick Ibn Oumar, a former rebel chief who became a diplomatic adviser to the presidency in 2019.

Longtime opposition politician Saleh Kebzabo was not named to the transition government, but he issued a statement saying he “recognised” it.

Chad was thrown into turmoil by Deby’s death, announced just the day after he was declared the winner of an April 11 election — giving him a sixth mandate after 30 years at the helm.