By Valentine Amanze, Online Editor
French President, Emmanuel Macron, has pledged his country’s assistance to Chad, which president Idriss Deby, was murdered by insurgents on Monday.
Macron made the pledge on Friday during the funeral of the slain president, which was attended by thousands of people at N’Djamena.
Macron assured that France would not let anyone threaten the stability of its former colony – a reflection of worries that more turmoil will hamper the fight against Islamist militants across the Sahel region.
The French leader also pledged his country’s support for a transition to democracy in Chad.
Deby, a lynchpin in Western security strategy, was killed on Monday in a battle against a rebel army led by dissident army officers, who are not linked to jihadists.
Reuters reported that the rebels said on Friday their command centre was bombed on Wednesday night in an attempt to kill their own leader.
They have swept south across the vast desert nation from their bases in Libya towards the capital, N’Djamena, but called a temporary ceasefire to allow Deby’s funeral to hold.
African presidents and prime ministers joined dignitaries and ordinary citizens in the capital’s Place de la Nation for the funeral ceremony.
Deby’s coffin, draped in a national flag, was carried on a military truck flanked by a motorcycle escort. Weeping swelled from the crowd and a 21-gun salute boomed across the city.
Macron was seated for the ceremony next to Deby’s son, Mahamat Idriss Deby, who along with a military council has taken charge in Chad.
“France will not let anybody put into question or threaten today or tomorrow Chad’s stability and integrity,” Macron said in his speech.
“France will also be there to keep alive without waiting the promise of a peaceful Chad creating a place for all of its children and components,” he said, calling the late president a friend and courageous soldier who had given his life to his country.
Human rights groups have accused France and other Western powers of turning a blind eye to government repression during Deby’s 30-year rule because of his co-operation on security matters.
Nonetheless, many Chadians were deeply upset by Deby’s death.
“He protected us for so long that today we have come to wish him eternal rest. A deserved rest,” said N’Djamena resident, Hassan Adoum.
Before the ceremony, Macron and regional leaders met with Mahamat Idriss Deby and members of the military transition council.
The 37-year-old Deby, who holds the rank of general, has dissolved parliament, taken over as president and armed forces commander, and promised to hold an election in 18 months time.
A French presidency source said France and the G5 Sahel nations had offered support for a civilian-military transition in Chad for the good of regional stability. The G5 are Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger – all beset by Islamist militant threats.
But opposition leaders, who had been stepping up their activity prior to Idriss Deby’s death, have condemned the takeover as a coup and called for a campaign of civil disobedience. Many army officers are also said to be opposed to the transition plan and unions have called a worker’s strike.
The rebels of the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) said warplanes bombed their centre on Wednesday night in an attempt to kill their leader, Mahamat Mahadi Ali. They accused France of supporting the raid with aerial surveillance. The group did not specify where the command post was located or give details of any casualties or damage. They have said they are about 200-300 km (125-190 miles) from the capital.
