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Idriss Déby
President of Chad (1990–2021); killed on the front line
The soldier-president who died fighting the rebellion he once led.
The rise
Born on 18 June 1952 in Fada, he trained as a pilot in France, fought in the Toyota War against Libya and seized power in December 1990. He ruled for thirty years, surviving multiple coup attempts and rebel offensives by leading troops personally.