Chad votes in first Sahel presidential poll since wave of coups

Chadians go to the polls on Monday three years after their military leader seized power, in the first presidential election in Africa's Sahel region since a wave of coups.

Analysts say Mahamat Idriss Deby, who seized power the day rebels killed his long-ruling father Idriss Deby in April 2021, is most likely to win, although his chief opponent has been drawing larger-than-expected crowds on the campaign trail.

Deby has promised to bolster security, strengthen the rule of law and increase electricity production.

The vote coincides with a temporary withdrawal of US troops from Chad, an important Western ally in a region of West and Central Africa courted by Russia and wracked by jihadism.

Polls open at 7am and close at 5pm, with some 8.5 million people registered to vote.

Soldiers began early voting on Sunday.

Provisional results are expected by 21 May and final results by 5 June. If no candidate wins more than 50% of the votes, a run-off will be held on 22 June.

Since replacing his father at the helm of the oil-producing Central African country, Deby has remained close with former colonial power and longtime ally France.

While other junta-ruled Sahel countries including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have told Paris and other Western powers to withdraw and turned to Moscow for support, Chad remains the last Sahel state with a substantial French military presence.

That has raised fears of potential violence.

(with Reuters)

Read more on RFI English

Read also:
Junta leader Déby eyes grip on power in Chad's presidential election
Chad excludes military rulers' main opponents from presidential vote
Chad awaits results from referendum hoped to chart path for civilian rule