Chad: AU To ‘Investigate’ Idriss Deby’s Death As Expert Reveals Why Nigeria Should Be Concerned

As the nation of Chad mourns, the African Union Political Affairs Peace and Security Council says investigation into the murder of late President Idriss Deby is underway, but a foreign affairs expert has explained why developments in the country was something its neighbours like Nigeria should be worried about.

Recall that Chadian army authorities reported on Tuesday that Idriss Deby died as result of gunshot wounds during an exchange of gunfire with rebel groups.

Chad is viewed by France has having a central role in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region.

THE WHISTLER reported that Deby’s son, General Mahamat, who was announced as President of the Military Transition Council on Thursday, “recounted” before political figures in the country “the events that caused the sudden death of Marshal of Chad” but the presidency, in a statement, was silent on the details of Mahamat’s disclosure.

But in a communique on the AU Security Council’s website (posted on April 24), it said that a thorough investigation was required so as to unravel the circumstances that led to Idriss’s death as well as other developments in the country.

“To this end, requests the AU Commission to rapidly set up a high-level fact-finding mission, with the participation of PSC members, to visit Chad and interact with the Chadian authorities on all matters relating to to this situation, in particular to support the investigation into the assassination of the late President Idriss Deby Itno, verify the efforts to restore constitutionalism, and report to the Council, within the 15-day deadline indicated above;,” the communique stated.

Meanwhile, an International Relations Lecturer at Bayero University Kano, Dr Riya’uddeen Maitama, told THE WHISTLER in an exclusive interview that amid infolding events in Chad, Mahamat will likely continue with his father’s policies so as to sustain the support of diplomatic partners like Nigeria and France.

But he added that if rebel groups advance within the country, the Chadian government may be distracted and be forced to withdraw its troops from the Sahel region to squarely face its internal problem.

He said if that happens, a key bloc of the sub-regional military presence in the Sahel will withdraw and it may embolden terrorists to carry out more deadly attacks on countries in the region.

“The present leader of Chad who is the son of Idriss Deby will try to see how he can continue with the legacies of his father particularly in supporting peace and progress of countries of the region. For him to get wider regional support, I am very sure that the leader of Chad will continue with those policies of late president Deby, but the implication is that the internal crisis in Chad, particularly these rebellion against Idriss which have even cost his life, will definitely impact on the ability of the present leader of Chad to continue with that (his father’s) policies.

“If Chad will be stable and the leadership in the country will be able to confront those rebel group, then the war on terrorism in Nigeria will not be significantly affected. But if rebel groups continue to be so powerful as they are right now and as they are a torment to the peaceful coexistence of Chad, i think it will be disastrous for Nigeria because Chad may need its troops to confront internal uprising and crisis rather than confronting so called Boko-Haram in Lake Chad region or in its border with Nigeria or Niger Republic,” he said.

He added: “Idriss Deby being in the Central Africa had to send his troops, about 1,200 troops to bring about peace and to entrench the war on terrorism in that axis..to support it. At so many point in time, French troops had to praise the heroic and outstanding performance of the Chadian troops in the region.

“Another dimesnion to this is that, if internal crisis continue in Chad, there is tendency that Boko Haram will have a safe haven to be using Chad as safe zone for them to be attacking neighbouring countries of Nigeria, Niger, Cameroun and that will surely affect the war on terrorism by Nigeria and it will surely affect Nigeria.”