Army spokesman Azem Bermendao Agouna said Deby, a longtime Western ally, had died “because of his front-line injuries”.
The rebels, who had wanted to oust Deby since 2016, had won several victories last week and clashes were reported in the north of the country over the weekend.
Rebels from the Front for Change and Concord in Chad – known in French as Front Pour l’Alternance et La Concorde au Tchad (FACT) – said on Friday that it had overrun a military garrison in Gouri. The government denied the claim, saying the rebels had been defeated.
Monday FACT said Deby was injured and was fleeing.
“True to the oath taken to the Chadian nation and people, Marshal Chad, President of the Republic, Head of State, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Idriss Déby Itno, has just breathed his last defense of the sovereign nation on the battlefield, ”Agouna said in his statement. “It is with deep bitterness that we announce to the Chadian people the death this Tuesday, April 20, 2021 of Chadian Marshal Idriss Déby Itno as a result of their injuries on the front line,” he said.
Agouna said a transitional military council would take over the country for 18 months “to ensure the defense of our beloved country facing this war against terrorism and the forces of evil.”
According to Agouna, Deby’s son, General Mahamat Kaka, will be the chairman of the transitional council.
He promised that there would be “free, democratic and transparent elections following the spirit of sacrifice for which the marshal fought during his lifetime.”
The army declared a 14-day period of national mourning and imposed a curfew overnight. The air borders would close until further notice.
The announcement came a day after interim results suggested Deby, who has been in power for 30 years, had won a sixth consecutive term.
Chad worked closely with Nigeria and Cameroon in the fight against the militant group Boko Haram and was part of a joint working group fighting the insurgency in the region.
Chad borders Libya, the Darfur region, Sudan, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and the Central African Republic. There are fears that Deby’s death threatens the stability of the region. FACT claims to have control of the Tibesti region in Chad, which lies next to Libya.
Mohammed Yahaya, a resident representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Nigeria, told CNN: “The worst case scenario is a type of disintegration of Libya in a highly insecure and conflict-affected region. Chad, under the leadership of President Deby, it put a lot of pressure on Boko Haram in the region.If there is a disintegration, there would be an increase in arms flow and an encouraged Boko Haram, this should worry any political leaders and agents Security Council “.
Yahaya said President Deby played an important role for the international community as a “security anchor” in the region and his first thoughts would be how to ensure an “orderly transition” in the country to prevent further instability.
“Deby was someone from whom the international community relied to ensure security. He also contributed troops to Mali during the insurgency, so my concern since I heard the news is ‘what’s coming?’ “and how can the international community secure and support the country in this difficult transition,” he said.