Mahamat Idriss Déby Promoted to Marshal Rank by Chad’s National Council

Chad’s National Transitional Council (CNT) has elevated the country’s president, Mahamat Idriss Déby, from General to Marshal. The title was previously held by Déby’s late father, Idriss Déby Itno, also president of Chad. The resolution was supported by 160 council members, with two people voting against it and six abstaining. Déby’s elevation reflects a tradition of honoring leaders for significant military victories against insurgencies, with his father’s promotion in 2020 coming after he led the nation’s armed forces in a victorious campaign against Boko Haram. The younger Déby assumed power in 2021 following his father’s death in combat against rebels in the same year. He was initially installed as the president of the CNT. Later, the council appointed him as the “president of the transition.” Eventually, Déby amended the Constitution and secured legitimacy through a contested election in May.

SOURCE: AFRICA NEWS