Déby

Déby is a surname of Chadian origin. It is most commonly associated with a prominent political family in Chad, including Idriss Déby Itno, a Chadian military officer who seized power in 1990 and served as president of Chad for three decades. He founded the Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS), the ruling party during much of his tenure. Déby’s presidency was marked by efforts to stabilize Chad and address security challenges tied to regional conflicts, while his government faced domestic opposition and various human rights criticisms.

In 2021, Idriss Déby died while in office, and his son Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno assumed leadership as head of the Transitional Military Council (Conseil Militaire de Transition). The council pledged to steer a transitional period toward elections and civilian rule. Since then, Chad has been governed under a transitional framework led by the military, with elections and a return to civilian government repeatedly discussed in political and regional forums.

The surname Déby is most closely associated with this political lineage in Chad. In English-language texts, the name is sometimes rendered without the accent as Deby. The Déby family has played a central role in Chad’s recent political history, shaping the country’s governance during the transition period that followed Idriss Déby Itno’s death.