General Mahamat Idriss Deby, the son of the late Chadian leader, Idris Deby, has been named as the interim head of state of the country.
This comes few hours after his father’s death was announced.
The BBC reports that the military council will govern the country for the next 18 months.
Mahamat will lead the council but “free and democratic elections will be held once the transition period is over,” the army said in its statement.
Late Chad’s President Idriss Deby reportedly died while visiting troops on the frontline of a fight against northern rebels, an army spokesman, Azem Agouna, said on Tuesday; the day after Deby was declared the winner of a presidential election.
Deby took 79.3 per cent of the vote in the April 11 presidential election. However, the election was boycotted by opposition leaders.