N'Djamena (AFP)

The head of the military junta and self-proclaimed president of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, left N'Djamena on Sunday for a "friendly and working visit" to France, his cabinet announced.

The 37-year-old four-star general has headed a Transitional Military Council (CMT) of 15 generals since the announcement on April 20 of the death of his father, Idriss Déby Itno, who had ruled the country with an iron fist since. 30 years old, killed at the front against rebels.

"The President of the Transitional Military Council, President of the Republic, Head of State, Lieutenant General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, left N'Djamena this morning, bound for Paris", to perform there " a visit of friendship and work ", according to a statement from the communication service of the Chadian presidency, which does not give any details on the program.

According to the Elysée, Emmanuel Macron and Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno will see each other on Monday as part of the preparation for the G5 Sahel.

The date of this new summit is not yet completely fixed but it should be held around July 8/9.

A member of the Chadian delegation had previously mentioned a Sunday evening dinner between the two men.

France, the former colonial power in Chad, is the third country visited by the head of the military junta since taking power, after Niger and Nigeria.

As of April 20, the CMT proclaimed its head president of the Republic, dissolved the Parliament and the government and repealed the Constitution.

He promised "free and fair" elections after an 18-month transition period, renewable once.

The international community, the African Union (AU) and France in the lead, demanded that this period not exceed 18 months.

But at the end of June, Mahamat Déby hinted that he was not ruling out an extension.

The Chadian army is one of the main pillars of the fight against jihadist groups in the Sahel.

During Idriss Déby's funeral, Mr. Macron was the only Western head of state to have gone to N'Djamena to pay tribute to the deceased and to meet his son and successor.

Mr. Macron recently announced an upcoming progressive military disengagement of France in the Sahel.

The French anti-jihadist force Barkhane (5,100 men currently) will disappear in favor of a tightened device, focused on the fight against terrorism and support in the fight of local armies.

© 2021 AFP