General Mohamed Idriss Deby announced today, Wednesday, that he will assume the duties of the President of the Republic in Chad under a transitional charter, after the announcement yesterday of the killing of his father, the President on the battlefronts, and the formation of a military council to manage the country's affairs.

General Deby, 37, said that he "assumed the duties of the president of the republic" and that he had become "the supreme commander of the armed forces," according to the transitional charter published today on the presidential website.

The general - who led the Presidential Guard and worked as an assistant to the commander of the armed forces - had appointed 14 other generals close to his late father on Tuesday in the Transitional Council, which is the body that will assume governance for a period of 18 months until elections are held, according to what it announced.

Earlier, opposition forces and armed movements expressed their refusal to form a military council headed by Mohamed Idris Deby, while neighboring countries expressed concern about the potential unrest.

The Accord Front for Change - which is described as a political-military organization - announced its rejection of the de-facto policy and submission to "any entity that exercises power with violence," and said that it would fight "the military regime that has lasted for three decades."

The Front affirmed its opposition to every "regime based on oppression, dictatorship, and the exploitation of religion."

Move towards the capital

In the same context, the opposition Working and Justice Group said that Chad is not a kingdom, and power cannot be transferred between members of the ruling family, and added that the "National Resistance Forces" are moving at this moment towards the capital.

Likewise, the spokesperson for the Rotation and Consensus Front, Kenjabi Oguzimi de Taboul, said, "We categorically reject the transitional period and we intend to continue the attack."

"Chad is not governed by a monarchy," he added. "There should be no transfer of power from father to son."

He continued, "Our forces are on their way to N'Djamena, but we will leave between 15 and 28 hours for the children of Deby, to bury their father, according to customs."

On the other hand, the head of the Popular Movement for Reform in Chad, Baba Laddi, expressed his support for the establishment of a military council headed by the son of President Déby.

"I ask all political-military movements to agree and support the courage of this young general who presides over this council so that calm and stability remain. This transitional phase must be managed with great wisdom, and the generals around him are personalities we can rely on," he said.

The Chadian army announced yesterday the death of President Idriss Deby (68 years), after he was injured while he was on the battlefronts against the armed movements in the north of the country.

Deby ruled his country for 30 years and was about to start a sixth term after the election commission announced on Monday his re-election in the April 11 poll.

Regional concerns

On the other hand, some neighboring countries expressed concern about developments in Chad.

In Sudan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Khartoum "is following with great concern the developments of the current events and the raging conflict between government and opposition forces for power."

And it called on "all Chadian parties to calm down and stop the fighting in a way that guarantees the security and stability of Chad and the safety of its citizens."

Sudanese media quoted the governor of West Darfur as warning of the displacement of Chadian refugees to his state in light of the recent developments after the killing of Déby.

In the same context, the Algerian Foreign Ministry said that it "follows with concern the current events in Chad," and offered condolences on the death of Idriss Deby.

On the other hand, the African Commission, the European Union and the United States called for the peaceful transfer of power in Chad in accordance with the constitution and the organization of elections.