Chad's President Idriss Déby dies after 'clashes with rebels'

 Chad's President Idriss Déby has died of his injuries following clashes with rebels in the north of the country at the weekend, the army has said.

Déby, 68, spent more than three decades in power and was one of Africa's longest-serving leaders.

"The President of the Republic, Idriss Déby, breathed his last, defending the unity and safety of our territories on the battlefield," a Chadian army spokesman said in a statement, noting that Déby participated in battles against the rebels over the weekend.

The army announced the formation of a military council headed by General Mohamed Idriss Deby, son of the late president, who is 37 years old, to lead the country for an 18-month period, as a transitional period.