TRIBUTE: A warrior killed by gun… Seven things to know about dead Chadian President

Taking over power after a coup led against Hissene Habre, Deby Habré immediately retired his army uniform to become a Politician.

He served as the president of Chad for six consecutive terms.

The 68-years old Chad leader who governed a country located in a chronically unstable region has exhibited spectatular resilience, surviving coups, rebel attacks and foreign invasions.

Here are six things to know about Habre Deby

1 In 2016, Habré was convicted of war crimes by a specially-created international tribunal in Senegal. Survivor in a complex region

2. He was accused of running a one-party state, even though questionable elections have been held from time to time.

3 Deby had instigated conflict, even encouraged it to his advantage – carefully juggling crises in Sudan, Libya, and the Central African Republic.

4 With a powerful army, he was seen as an important force for stability in central Africa, the Lake Chad region, and the Sahel

5 Deby managed to keep former colonial master France, the US and China close, often relying on Paris for military support and on Beijing for the country’s financial needs.

6 During his 30-year reign every state institution – the courts, the media, the opposition, civil society – were destroyed; an old-style way to keep himself in power.

7 Using his powerful Zaghawa tribe and the loyal support of his ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement party, Deby has managed to survive central Africa’s complex geopolitics, where tribes and militias control resources such as water, land and minerals.