Chadians head to presidential poll on Monday in military coup-ravaged region

Voters will head to the polls on Monday in the Republic of Chad to elect a new president.

The election marks a fresh political twist in the coup-ravaged states across Central and West Africa, as Chad is planning to use the ballot box to exit years of military rule.

The incumbent interim leader, Mahamat Idriss Deby, is widely anticipated to win the poll, as the opposition already expressed dissatisfaction before the election.

Mahamat Idriss Deby became the president of the country after he seized power the day rebels shot and killed his long-ruling father, Idriss Deby, in April 2021.

One of Deby’s most prominent challengers on Monday will be Succes Masra, the current Prime Minister, alongside seven other candidates.

Western allies of the Sahel country are hoping that the Monday poll will deliver a relatively stable state in a region affected by extremist insurgency and massive Russian influence.

Deby initially promised an 18-month transition, but his government later adopted resolutions that postponed elections and allowed him to run for president.

The delay sparked protests that security forces violently quenched, killing about 50 civilians, including opposition figure Yaya Dillo, who was shot and killed in N’Djamena on Feb. 28.

Some opposition parties and civil society groups have been calling for a boycott of the vote, arguing that Deby and his allies control the primary institutions of power and might influence the process.