Chad’s provisional election results, released Thursday, have announced Mahamat Deby Itno, the country’s military leader, as the winner of this week’s presidential election. The announcement by the national election agency came earlier than expected, revealing Deby Itno securing over 61% of the vote, while his closest competitor, Masra, trailed far behind with over 18.5%. The declaration was met with gunfire in the capital, although the nature of the gunfire—whether celebratory or otherwise—remained uncertain.
Following three years of military rule, Chad conducted its long-delayed presidential election, widely anticipated to favor the incumbent. Deby Itno, also known as Mahamat Idriss Deby, ascended to power after his father’s demise in 2021 while battling rebels. Despite promising to organize elections within 18 months, Deby’s government postponed the vote, enabling him to run for president.
Chad’s junta marked the first among several West and Central African countries, experiencing coups in recent years, to hold an election. However, some opposition factions have raised allegations of vote manipulation.
In anticipation of Thursday’s announcement, Masra took to Facebook, accusing the authorities of plotting to tamper with the outcome. The accelerated release of provisional results, originally scheduled for May 21, was prompted by the opposition’s intent to reveal their own tallied figures.
Since gaining independence in 1960 after decades of French colonial rule, Chad has not undergone a transparent transfer of power. Despite being an oil-exporting nation with nearly 18 million inhabitants, it remains devoid of a fair democratic transition.
Chad, often regarded as one of the West’s few stable allies amidst a surge of military coups in the Sahel region, faces a pivotal moment in its political landscape.
