Brahim Déby
Encyclopedia
Brahim Déby Itno was the son of current Chad
ian President
Idriss Déby
.
Brahim attended the University of Ottawa
in Canada
as a foreign exchange student and graduated in 2004 with a degree in business administration. It is claimed that in 2005, President Déby held a secret meeting in which he expressed his desire to have Brahim succeed him at some point; this reportedly caused a rift in the family.
On May 24, 2006, Brahim Déby was arrested outside a Paris
nightclub after getting involved in a brawl. During the fight, an unlicensed semi-automatic pistol fell from his pocket. Police later searched his house and found 375 grams of marijuana. On June 3, 2006, Brahim Déby was given a six-month suspended sentence for drugs and arms possession.
Déby was found dead in his apartment building's parking garage in Courbevoie
, a suburb of Paris, on July 2, 2007. Due to the apparently violent nature of his death, French authorities began investigating it as murder. An autopsy
indicated that Déby, who was covered in white powder, died due to asphyxiation, probably from the powder, which was thought to have been sprayed from a fire extinguisher
found near his body. Déby had a wound on his head, but this was thought to be unrelated to his death.
According to a lawyer for Déby's family on July 17, Déby was attacked ten days after arriving in France
from Chad; his father had advised him not to return to France due to his past legal issue there. Shortly prior to the attack, Déby was said to be very worried and had received a telephone call. He was attacked by four or five men disguised as policemen who waited for him to arrive at the parking garage. The attackers tazered Déby before killing him by spraying him with the fire extinguisher powder. They then searched his apartment for an unknown reason; it was speculated that the attackers might have been looking for money kept there by Déby.
Déby's body was returned to Chad aboard a specially chartered flight on the morning of July 4. He was buried at midday on the same day in the Muslim
cemetery in Lamadji, to the north of N'Djamena
. The funeral was held privately but was nevertheless widely attended, with Déby's extended family, as well as government ministers and various political figures, present.
Five arrests (four in Paris, one in Romania
) made in connection with Déby's death were reported on November 28, 2008.
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
ian President
Heads of state of Chad
-List of Heads of State of Chad:-Affiliations:-External links:**...
Idriss Déby
Idriss Déby
General Idriss Déby Itno is the President of Chad and the head of the Patriotic Salvation Movement. Déby is of the Bidyat clan of the Zaghawa ethnic group. He added "Itno" to his surname in January 2006.-Rise to power:...
.
Brahim attended the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as a foreign exchange student and graduated in 2004 with a degree in business administration. It is claimed that in 2005, President Déby held a secret meeting in which he expressed his desire to have Brahim succeed him at some point; this reportedly caused a rift in the family.
On May 24, 2006, Brahim Déby was arrested outside a Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
nightclub after getting involved in a brawl. During the fight, an unlicensed semi-automatic pistol fell from his pocket. Police later searched his house and found 375 grams of marijuana. On June 3, 2006, Brahim Déby was given a six-month suspended sentence for drugs and arms possession.
Déby was found dead in his apartment building's parking garage in Courbevoie
Courbevoie
Courbevoie is a commune located very close to the centre of Paris, France. The centre of Courbevoie is situated 2 kilometres from the outer limits of Paris and 8.2 km...
, a suburb of Paris, on July 2, 2007. Due to the apparently violent nature of his death, French authorities began investigating it as murder. An autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
indicated that Déby, who was covered in white powder, died due to asphyxiation, probably from the powder, which was thought to have been sprayed from a fire extinguisher
Fire extinguisher
A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
found near his body. Déby had a wound on his head, but this was thought to be unrelated to his death.
According to a lawyer for Déby's family on July 17, Déby was attacked ten days after arriving in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
from Chad; his father had advised him not to return to France due to his past legal issue there. Shortly prior to the attack, Déby was said to be very worried and had received a telephone call. He was attacked by four or five men disguised as policemen who waited for him to arrive at the parking garage. The attackers tazered Déby before killing him by spraying him with the fire extinguisher powder. They then searched his apartment for an unknown reason; it was speculated that the attackers might have been looking for money kept there by Déby.
Déby's body was returned to Chad aboard a specially chartered flight on the morning of July 4. He was buried at midday on the same day in the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
cemetery in Lamadji, to the north of N'Djamena
N'Djamena
N'Djamena is the capital and largest city of Chad. A port on the Chari River, near the confluence with the Logone River, it directly faces the Cameroonian town of Kousséri, to which the city is connected by a bridge. It is also a special statute region, divided in 10 arrondissements. It is a...
. The funeral was held privately but was nevertheless widely attended, with Déby's extended family, as well as government ministers and various political figures, present.
Five arrests (four in Paris, one in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
) made in connection with Déby's death were reported on November 28, 2008.