The African Union Peace and Security Council has announced that it would discuss the situation in Chad and Somalia where both governments are being accused of unconstitutionalism.
According to the Constitution of Chad, the President of the National Assembly is supposed to have taken over after the death of the president. However, the country’s military has decided that it will rule for a year and a half before new elections. It has made President Idriss Deby’s son, General Mahamat, the new leader for 18 months following Deby’s death on the battlefront on Monday.
The military has dissolved the country’s constitution. It has reportedly closed the country’s borders and imposed a night curfew.
The African Union only supports change of power through elections. In the history of the regional body, a similar incident happened in 2005 in Togo. After the death of President Gnassingbé Eyadéma the Togolese Armed Forces proclaimed his son head of state.
The AU condemned this as an unconstitutional leadership and demanded that Togo be suspended from AU activities until it had a constitutional transfer of power through elections.
However, it is yet to make its decisions on Chad public.
SABC News’ Coletta Wanjohi reports from Addis Ababa:
