N’DJAMENA, Chad (AP) — President Idriss Deby Itno, who ruled Chad for more than 30 years and became an important ally to Western nations in the fight against Islamic extremism in Africa, has died. He was 68. The military announcement came hours after he had been declared the winner of an election that would have given him another six years in power. The military said Deby was killed while battling rebels in the north, but the circumstances of his death remained murky. His son was quickly appointed to lead a transitional rule.
