Chad’s new military rulers named Albert Pahimi Padacke, who was runner-up in the Sahel country’s April 11 presidential election, as prime minister of a transitional government on Monday a week after President Idriss Deby’s battlefield death – an appointment quickly dismissed by an opposition leader.
A military council seized power after Deby was killed as he visited troops fighting rebels on April 19. Opposition politicians have called the military takeover a “coup”, and one said on Monday the army had no right to pick a premier. The transition and the wrangling around it are being closely watched in a country that is a key power in central Africa and a longtime Western ally against armed groups across the Sahel.
The military council headed by Deby’s son, Mahamat Idriss Deby, has said it will oversee an 18-month transition to elections.
But it is coming under international pressure to hand over power to civilians as soon as possible. The African Union has expressed “grave concern” about the military takeover, while France and regional powers are pushing for a civilian-military solution.
*The views of the above article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Africa Speaks 4 Africa or its editorial team.