Chadian Head of State General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno was officially promoted Marshal over the weekend, during a ceremony granting him the same rank held by his late father and predecessor, Idriss Déby Itno.
This marks the second time in Chad’s history that someone has been bestowed with the Marshal’s cape, sabre, and baton, the symbolic attributes of the rank. The occasion was marked by a special session of the National Transitional Council, held at the presidential palace. The council, dominated by the ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement, had overwhelmingly approved the president’s promotion. The council is set to be replaced following legislative elections scheduled for December 29, which are being boycotted by opposition parties.
According to the council’s resolution, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno was elevated to the rank of Marshal “for services rendered to the nation and numerous military victories won both domestically and abroad.” The decision comes just weeks before legislative and local elections, Chad’s first since 2011.
His father, Idriss Déby Itno, was similarly honored in 2020 after leading a victorious campaign against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region. The elder Déby, a seasoned military leader who commanded operations on the ground, ruled Chad for three decades before being killed in 2021 during a rebel confrontation.
Following his father’s death, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, then a general, assumed power with the backing of a military junta. He was declared president of the Transitional Military Council and later president of the transition. After amending the constitution, he was confirmed as head of state in a contested election last May.
The younger Déby, at just 40, has actively engaged in military operations, including a recent offensive against Boko Haram in October after an attack on a garrison in the Lake Chad region. He personally directed air and ground operations for two weeks, with updates shared on the presidency’s social media platforms, depicting him in full military attire.
Despite these efforts, a subsequent ambush by Boko Haram claimed the lives of several soldiers, including high-ranking officers. In response, Déby has since suspended long-standing military agreements with France, calling the texts “obsolete.”
The shift in Chad’s relationship with France has led to a significant drawdown of French forces. A unit of 120 French soldiers departed Chad on Friday, following the earlier withdrawal of Mirage 2000 fighter jets. Chad is the last Sahel country to host French troops, marking a new chapter in its post-colonial military ties.