S. Sudan’s Kiir eulogies Déby, declares three days of mourning

April 21, 20201 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has sent condolences to the people of Chad following the death of their leader on Tuesday, declaring three days of mourning in the country.

The Chadian President Idriss Déby, 68, died of his injuries following clashes with rebels in the north of the country at the weekend, the army announced on state television.

Kiir said Déby played a key role in the restoration of peace in South Sudan, adding that Chad was among the High-Level Adhoc Committee established by the African Union in 2014 to find ways of ending war in South Sudan.

“President Déby was also pivotal in our mediation efforts to end the Sudanese conflict. His behind the scene work allowed us to achieve the historic Juba Peace Agreement in October 2020,” partly reads Kiir’s message.

“We, in South Sudan will remember him for helping in the mediation of our conflict and he will also be remembered across Africa for committing Chadian troops to G5 Sahel Joint Force and the Sahel Alliance, a multi-national force formed to deal with the threat posed by Boko Haram and its affiliate militants in that region,” he added.

The South Sudanese leader also called for meaningful and peaceful transition in Chad.

An army officer by training, Déby came to power in 1990 through an armed uprising. He was a long-time ally of France and other Western powers in the battle against jihadist groups in the Sahel region of Africa.

(ST)