2016 Tutu Fellow Succès Masra PhD has offered condolences to the Deby family in a gracious message via social media on the death of Chad’s President, Idriss Deby, who was killed by rebels in the north of the country in April. Succès thanked the former president for the thirty years he had had as leader of the country.
Succès is a prominent opposition politician who had to seek shelter within the US embassy perimeter in N'Djamena only the month prior to Deby's death because of a security crackdown on his supporters. Protests erupted when Deby announced he was running for a sixth term, along with changes to the qualifying age of presidential candidates in a measure to disqualify the opposition. Deby was controversially re-elected to a sixth presidential term, only to be killed just hours later in circumstances in the north of the country. His government played an important role in countering Islamic terrorism in the region and was supported by former colonial ruler, France, to that end.
Succès went on to wish peace to President and for the protection of his family and wished that in his passing, the country's security and defense forces could be transformed to serve the people. For now, the constitution has been suspended. A military council has taken over under the leadership of the son of Idriss.
Opposition politicians, many of whom boycotted the election and complained of repression during campaigning before the vote, have called for a return to civilian rule. In an interview to German broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, Succès said he disagreed with a dynastic transfer of power to Idriss Deby's son, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno. After 30 years of increasingly autocratic rule under Deby, who himself came to power in a 1990 coup, there have been calls for Chad to take the advantage of making a fresh start.
You can read more at the DW website.
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