Deby’s son Gen. Mahamat Déby Itno named Chad's interim leader

The government and parliament of Chad have been dissolved, and the army spokesman, Azem Bermendao Agouna, said a military council will take charge of Chad for the next 18 months before conducting a presidential election.  He said the council will be led by Deby’s 37-year-old son, General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno.

This comes few hours after the killing of President Idriss Deby  in clashes with rebels. Speaking on state television Tuesday, an army spokesman said Deby died of injuries sustained while visiting troops on the front line.  A rebel force known as the Front for Change and Concord in Chad has advanced from the north in recent days toward the capital, N’Djamena.

Mahamat Déby Itno first enrolled at the Joint Grouping of military schools in Chad. He subsequently received training in France, at the military school of Aix-en-Provence. Upon his return he was enrolled in second promotion of semi direct of the school of officer inter arme and later was appointed to the service branch for the Security of State Institutions (SERS), as a deputy commander of the groupement of infenterie.

His first combat experience took place in April 2006 when rebel attacked the capital city of Chad and later participated in a combat in eastern Chad along with General Abu Bakr al Said, then director of gendarmery, Mahmud was given the rank of major afterward. He led forces when he took part in the command of Chadian forces during the Battle of Am Dam, where his army defeated the rebels.

Following his victory, he was appointed in command of the armored squadrons and bodyguards of the SERS. In January 2013, he was appointed second in command of the Chadian Special Forces in Mali under General Oumar Bikimo.

On 22 February, he led his army against rebels in the Adrar al-Ifoghas mountains in Northern Mali leading to the Battle of al-Ifoghas. They eliminated a rebel base said to be of "significant importance", inflicting heavy losses upon the rebels but also losing twenty-six men in the process, including Abdel Aziz Hassane Adam, a commander of Special Forces. Mahmud took full command of the FATIM and has since been leading operations against rebels in the North.