Rebels threaten to march on capital as Chad reels from president's battlefield death

N'DJAMENA, April 21 (Reuters) - Rebel forces set their
sights on Chad's capital N'Djamena on Wednesday following the
battlefield death of President Idriss Deby, threatening to bring
more disruption to a country vital to international efforts to
combat Islamist militants in Africa.
Schools and some businesses were open in N'Djamena on
Wednesday but many people had opted to stay home and the streets
were quiet, a Reuters witness said.
Authorities imposed a nightly curfew and closed land and air
borders after Deby's death was announced. A 14-day period of
national mourning is being observed.
Deby, 68, died on Monday on the frontline in a battle
against Libya-based fighters, shocking the nation and raising
concerns among Western allies who had long seen him as an ally
in their fight against Islamist groups.
He had been in power since 1990 and had just been announced
winner of a presidential election that would have given him a
sixth term in office. His son, Mahamat Idriss Deby, has been
named interim president by a transitional council of military
officers. Deby, who often joined soldiers on the battlefront in his
military fatigues, was visiting troops after rebel group Front
for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) invaded from Libya and
advanced hundreds of miles towards the capital.
FACT rejected the military's transition plan and said they
would press on with their offensive on the capital.
"Chad is not a monarchy. There can be no dynastic devolution
of power in our country," FACT said in a statement.
Opposition politicians also called for a move back to
civilian rule.
Deby had won friends abroad by sending his well-trained army
to fight jihadists including Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin
and groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State in the Sahel.
His main ally, France, has about 5,100 troops based across
the region as part of international efforts to fight the
militants, including its main base in N'Djamena.
His death, which Paris described as the loss of a courageous
friend, poses questions about stability in the region and inside
Chad itself. As well as the rebel threat, the military is
divided and the opposition to Deby's authoritarian rule had been
growing.
"The potentially explosive consequences of President Déby's
death cannot be underestimated – both for the future of Chad and
across the region," Human Rights Watch said in a statement.
The New York-based organisation said the military council
must respect human rights and ensure that civilians were
protected. It also called for a swift transition to democratic
civilian rule, and free and fair elections.
"For years, international players have propped up Déby's
government for its support for counterterrorism operations...
while largely turning a blind eye to his legacy of repression
and violations of social and economic rights at home," HRW said
in a statement.