Chadian President Idriss Deby, who has ruled his country for more than 30 years and has been a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militants in Africa, has been killed on the front lines by rebels in the north.
Deby's son, Mahamat Kaka, has been appointed interim president by the interim military council, spokesman Azem Bermendao Agouna said on state television.
Deby, 68, joined the rebellion in 1990 and was one of Africa's longest-serving leaders, surviving a series of coups and uprisings.
His death was announced the next day after he was declared the winner of a presidential election that would give him a sixth term in office. Most opposition parties, which have long complained about his oppressive regime, boycotted the vote.
Deby - who used to join the army in the war when he was tired of the soldiers - had visited the army earlier on Monday after rebels crossed the northern border of Libya and continued hundreds of miles south of the capital'Djamena. L1N2MC20E
"Marshal Idriss Deby Itno, as he always did when Republican institutions were under great threat, took over the reins of war during the Libyan-led terrorist war. He was wounded during the fighting and died on his return to N'Djamena," Bermendao said.
The government and the National Assembly have been dissolved and a national clock has been introduced since 6pm. to 5 p.m.
"The National Revolutionary Council assures the Chadian people that all measures have been taken to ensure the peace, security and order of the Republic," Bermendao said.
Deby has moved forward with a new constitution in 2018 that would allow him to remain in power until 2033 - as it has also included term limits.
He took the Marshal title last year and said before last week's election: "I know in advance that I will win, as I did 30 years ago."
He was facing increasing public dissatisfaction with his handling of Chad's oil resources and attacks on his opponents.
But in the election results announced on Monday, Deby received 79% of the vote.
Western nations have identified Deby as an ally in the fight against Islamist militant groups, including Boko Haram in Lake Chad and al Qaeda-linked groups in the Sahel.
The former French colony had supported its counter-terrorism activities in the Sahel in N'Djamena. Chad announced in February the deployment of 1,200 troops to fill 5,100 French troops in the region.
CONFIDENCE
Déby's death could mean a great deal of uncertainty for Chad as the military is divided internally and because of widespread conflict in the country, says Nathaniel Powell, a history writer of French military involvement in Chad.
"The immediate announcement of the establishment of a military council and the naming of his son Mahamat as head of state is still a sign of the continuation of the state," Powell told Reuters.
"This may be aimed at counteracting any attempt to establish a state within the security institutions and reassure Chad's international partners - especially France but also the United States - that they can still rely on the country for its continued contribution to counter-terrorism efforts abroad. The Sahel."
Recent insurgent acts had already prompted a call in Washington and other Western officials.
The rebel group Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), based on the northern border of Libya, stormed the border on election day and traveled hundreds of kilometers south.
But the Chadian military seems to have slowed down by about 300 kilometers (185 miles) from N'Djamena.
The rebels admitted Monday they lost Saturday but said they would return on Sunday and Monday.
GREAT LOVE
Déby had joined the army in the 1970's when Chad was embroiled in a long-running civil war. He received military training in France and returned to Chad in 1978, putting his support behind Presidentissène Habré and eventually becoming a major military commander.
He took over the reins of government in 1990, leading rebel-clad rebel soldiers in a three-week strike from neighboring Sudan, a man accused of inciting tens of thousands of political assassinations.
A senior regional strategist told Reuters: "We understand from our sources that he has been around before or near. He would like to move forward."
The speaker of parliament should have taken power in his death, the spokesman said.
"But that is not the case. That alone is a revolution," he said. "He has been preparing his son for some time. They will continue to face the rebellion. Deby has his hand in many things in the Sahel. His death is disruptive."
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