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8 Things You Didn’t Know About Chad’s President Idriss Derby

8 Things You Didn’t Know About Chad’s President Idriss Derby

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Chad, a landlocked Central African nation of about 12 million people, held its presidential elections on Sunday, April 10, 2016, where the incumbent president, Idriss Derby is seeking a fifth term in office.

The nation, the fifth largest on the continent with an estimated area of 1.28 million square kilometers, is one of the poorest countries in the world.

Derby, who took power in a coup 26 years ago, is seen by Western governments as a bulwark against Islamist militants in the region despite his poor human right record.

Amnesty International report in 2013 accused Derby of brutally repressing critics of his rule, and of ignoring promises to respect human rights when he came to power in 1990.

Here are eight things you probably didn’t know about Chad’s president;

Sources; BBC, CBSNEWS, Washington Post, The New York Times, DAILY MAVERICK, The Africa Report

Image: nationalmirroronline.net
Image: nationalmirroronline.net

His marriage life

Derby has had at least four marriages that have all ended in divorces. He has more than ten children from these marriages. He married his current wife, Hinda Derby in September 2005.

Image: lindaikejisblog.com
Image: lindaikejisblog.com

Family feuds

Derby has faced several onslaughts against his presidency from his extended family members. In February 2006, two of his uncles left top positions in the national army to join rebel factions fighting the government. His two nephews, Timam and Tom Erdimi left positions as presidential advisors to join rebel factions, in 2006.

Image: afrikacite.wordpress.com
Image: afrikacite.wordpress.com

Changed surname

In January 2006, Derby added Itno to his family name. Itno was his grandfather from the Zaghawa tribe. He changed it to Idriss Derby Itno to ease off his strained relations with his larger family from the Zaghawa tribe.

Image: businessinsider.in
Image: businessinsider.in

Marries Sudanese beauty queen

In February 2012, Deby married Amani Musa Hilal, daughter to Musa Hilal, leader of the Janjaweed militia group that killed at least 400,000 people in Darfur region, Sudan in 2003. Amani was a university graduate in her mid-twenties when she got married to Deby. He paid a US $26 million for dowry. Part of it was US$ 1 million of gold and jewellery.

Image: biyokulule.com
Image: biyokulule.com

Stay in office

He is one of the longest-serving presidents in Africa. Deby ascended to power on December 2, 1990.  In 2004, a referendum was successfully held to remove presidential term-limits. This has enabled him to hold onto power. During campaigns for re-election in 2016, he promised to re-introduce term limits.

Image: reportsafrique.com
Image: reportsafrique.com

Longest serving president

Derby is among Africa’s longest serving rulers. He has stayed in power for 26 years, since his ascension to power on December 2, 1990 through a military coup. His expected re-election in the presidential election on April 10, 2016, will be his fifth-term in power in one of the world’s poorest nations.

Image: premiumtimesng.com
Image: premiumtimesng.com

Former military commander

He joined the army in 1970s. Derby served as an army commander in President Hissene Habre’s government after helping him seize power in a military coup.  In 1985, he attended the Ecole Superieure de Guerre, an advanced military training school in France. In April 1989, Habre accused Derby of trying to overthrow his government. On December 2, 1990, Derby led a rebel faction that ousted Habre from power after fierce battle in the country’s capital, N’Djamena.

Image: ecofinagency.com
Image: ecofinagency.com

Trained Pilot

Derby trained as a military pilot in France in 1975. He got the opportunity at a time when France, former colonialists of the nation started balancing the army that had been dominated by Southerners.  He returned to Chad with a professional pilot certificate in 1975.