In a message, João Lourenço expressed his condolences on the death of Idriss Itno, who tragically removes from the society, "a personality of great political stature, who knew how to assume firm leadership positions as head of state, in the complex processes that took place in the Sahel and Central Africa ".
"An African statesman committed to building a strong, cohesive, independent Africa focused on the development and social progress of its peoples has been lost," said the head of state.
Chad President Idriss Déby Itno, in power for 30 years, died this Tuesday from injuries sustained while commanding his army to fight rebels in the north over the weekend, a spokesman for state television announced. .
"The President of the Republic, head of state, supreme head of the army, Idriss Déby Itno, has just breathed his last while defending territorial integrity on the battlefield," announced Army spokesman General Azem Bermandoa Agouna , in a statement read on the public Chadian television station, TV Chad.
Déby, 68, a career military officer who took power in 1990 in a coup and was promoted to the position of field marshal last August, was re-elected to a six-year term with 79.32 percent of the vote, according to with the provisional results announced on Monday night by the national electoral commission.
