Chad junta chief Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who took power in 2021 after the death of his long-ruling father, on Saturday announced he would contest a long-awaited May 6 presidential vote.
"I, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, am a candidate for the 2024 presidential election under the banner of the For a United Chad coalition," he said in a speech.
Deby Itno took power after the death of his father, veteran leader Idriss Deby Itno, in 2021 while fighting rebels.
He was proclaimed transitional president by the country's ruling junta and promised a return to civilian rule and elections within 18 months but extended the transition by two years.
Election date
The first round of the presidential election will be held on May 6, the electoral commission announced last month.
In mid-January, the Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS) designated Deby Itno as its candidate for the presidential election.
Deby had told the African Union he would not run for president, but a new constitution adopted by a mid-December referendum allows him to do so.
The end of the transition period was pushed back to October 10, 2024.
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