Chad’s incumbent president, Idriss Déby Itno has been reelected for a sixth term with 79.32% of the votes as announced by the electoral commission on Monday.
The elections held on April 11 were boycotted by the country’s top opposition leaders but had a turnout of about 65%. His runner-up, former minister Albert Pahimi Padacke secured 10.32% of the vote, while Chad’s first female presidential candidate, Lydie Beassemda got 3.16%.
Deby, 68, was due to give a victory speech, but had instead visited Chadian soldiers battling insurgents advancing on the capital, N’Djamena.
According to his campaign director Mahamat Zen Bada “The candidate would have liked to have been here to celebrate … but right now, he is alongside our valiant defense and security forces to fight the terrorists threatening our territory”
Deby had been in power since 1990, his campaigns centred on sustaining peace and promoting national security in a region which has been dogged by insurgency and unrests.
Chad’s army said on Monday that it had killed 300 rebels and imprisoned 150. Five soldiers died while 36 were wounded in the clashes between forces and rebels.
Military spokesman General Azem Bermandoa Agouna said heavily armed rebels fighting for the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) arrived northern Chad through Libya to reach the province of Kanem before approaching the capital.
The US had asked all its nonessential embassy staff to leave the country. Britain too has advised its citizens to leave Chad as soon as possible following recent clashes in Chad.
Déby seized power in 1990 through a Coup d’état, and has been President of the country, since. Initially, he had banned citizens from making posts online, until 2019 when it was lifted. Citizens unable to use Twitter, WhatsApp, and other Social Media Apps.