The president of the transitional government in Mali, Bah N’Daw has decreed three days of national mourning throughout the country starting from Wednesday at midnight in tribute to Chadian President Idriss Déby Itno who died on Tuesday fighting rebels.
Flags will be flown at half-mast on all public buildings in Mali for the duration of the mourning, the mourning decree said.
Chadian President Idriss Déby, who was the chairman of the G5 Sahel coalition, was also considered as one of the pillars of the fight against terrorism in the Sahel.
Chadian soldiers are engaged in the United Nations Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) to fight against terrorists.
Idriss Déby was re-elected after the presidential elections on 12 April for a sixth term as head of Chad, which he has led for 30 years. After the announcement of his death, a military transition was set up and is chaired by General Mahamat Idriss Déby, the son of President Déby who was in charge of the presidential guard.
The transition period should last 18 months before new elections are organised.
LB/ls/lb/abj/APA