[ti:Chad’s Military Says President Killed in Battle with Rebels] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]The African country of Chad announced Tuesday [00:03.76]that its president of more than 30 years [00:07.32]died visiting troops fighting a rebel group. [00:12.48]Idriss Deby Itno came to power in 1990 [00:18.20]when he led a rebellion against then-President Hissène Habré. [00:25.48]Deby visited troops on Monday, [00:29.12]the same day he was declared the winner of an election [00:34.72]that would have kept him in power for a sixth term. [00:40.64]The 68-year-old leader could have stayed in power [00:46.92]until 2033 after a new constitution was passed in 2018. [00:52.92]The Chadian military said the president [00:57.00]joined the fight against rebels who had marched [01:00.96]toward Chad's capital, N'Djamena. [01:05.56]The rebel group is known as Front for Change and Concord in Chad. [01:12.44]The conflict concerns many Western nations, [01:15.96]including France and the United States. [01:20.56]Details of his death could not be independently confirmed. [01:26.92]Some Africa experts wonder if Deby's death was the result of a coup. [01:34.24]They said if the country's leader dies in office, [01:38.80]the remainder of his term should be completed [01:42.16]by a member of the country's parliament. [01:46.12]Instead, the military announced that Deby's 37-year-old son, [01:51.24]Mahamat Kaka, is now acting as president. [01:55.84]He will lead an 18-month transitional council. [02:01.56]Chad is a French ally in Africa. [02:06.04]France's president Emmanuel Macron released a statement on Tuesday [02:12.40]calling Deby "a brave friend," [02:16.72]and asked for a quick return to civilian leadership. [02:23.20]There are about 5,000 French soldiers based in Chad. [02:30.60]They are involved in security measures against Islamist militants [02:35.84]including Boko Haram and others linked to the Islamic State terror group. [02:44.68]Nathaniel Powell studies the history of France's military in Chad. [02:52.48]He said the announcement of Mahamat as the country's new leader [02:58.36]shows "continuity" and may serve to stop any military officers [03:05.84]from thinking they can take over the country. [03:09.72]He said it also shows France [03:12.56]and the United States that Chad remains an ally. [03:17.80]Powell noted there remains strong opposition to Deby's rule [03:23.76]within the country's military and among Chadian people. [03:29.88]Deby said he won 79 percent of the vote in the recent election. [03:37.52]But many people in the opposing party chose not to vote. [03:42.84]The Reuters news agency spoke with a diplomat in the area [03:47.84]who was not identified. [03:50.48]He said Deby "loved" visiting his troops while fighting was going on. [03:57.64]But, he said, it is problematic that a member of Chad's parliament [04:03.68]did not take over the country. [04:06.96]"That in itself is a coup," he said. [04:12.36]The military has ordered a nighttime curfew [04:15.88]and parliament has been dismissed. [04:19.40]The spokesman who announced Deby's death [04:22.76]said "all measures have been taken to guarantee peace, [04:28.40]security and the republican order." [04:32.88]I'm Dan Friedell. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM