Chad's Veteran Leader Deby Targets Sixth Term in Presidential Vote
Voice of America
Voters in Chad head to the polls Sunday for a presidential election in which Idriss Deby is widely expected to extend his three-decade rule despite growing signs of popular discontent and opposition criticism over his handling of oil wealth.
Deby, 68, is one of Africa's longest-serving leaders and an ally of Western powers in the fight against Islamist militants in West and Central Africa. He seized power in 1990 in an armed rebellion, and in 2018 pushed through a new constitution that could let him stay in power until 2033, even as it reinstated term limits. Deby has relied on a firm grip over state institutions and one of the region's most capable militaries to maintain power. He said recently he knew in advance that he would win again "as I have done for the last 30 years."FILE - Indian players celebrate after beating Pakistan during T20 World Championship Cricket competition in Johannesburg, South Africa, Sept. 24, 2007. Pakistan's Shadab Khan, second right, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of New Zealand's Michael Bracewell during the fifth T20 international cricket match between Pakistan and New Zealand, in Lahore, Pakistan, April 27, 2024.
FILE - This undated photograph handed out by French military shows Russian mercenaries boarding a helicopter in northern Mali. In this photo released by Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, and Guinea's foreign minister Morissanda Kouyate shake hands near a portrait of Guinea's President Mamadi Doumbouya in Conakry, Guinea, on June 3, 2024.
FILE - An Iranian woman holds a poster of the late President Ebrahim Raisi during a mourning ceremony for him at Vali-e-Asr square in downtown Tehran, Iran on May 20, 2024. FILE - The helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi takes off at the Iranian border with Azerbaijan after President Raisi and his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev inaugurated dam of Qiz Qalasi, or Castel of Girl in Azeri, Iran, on May 19, 2024.