Nigeria, April 30 -- The death of Chad's President Idriss Deby has inevitably alarmed foreign and national security policymakers in Nigeria, the West African region and as far as France.

The 68-year-old Deby was killed on the frontline in northern Chad across the border with Libya where Chadian troops have been battling the foreign-backed rebel group Front pour I'Alternance et al Concorde au Tchad.

A transitional military council headed by Deby's son, Mahamat Deby, has since taken over the reins of power.

Deby had been in power since 1990 and had recently declared victory in elections that gave him his sixth term in office. The official result said he had garnered nearly 80% of the vote. The poll was boycotted by the opposition, and fe...