Presidents and figures of Chad

Heads of state since 1960

A civic list, not a verdict. Titles have varied (president of the Republic, military council, unity government). Public lists disagree on interims of a few days: we mark them as such. See also the History timeline.

1. 1

   François Tombalbaye (Ngarta Tombalbaye)

   1960 – 197511 August 1960 – 13 April 1975First president of the Republic
   Context and sources

   1918 – 1975

   He proclaimed independence on 11 August 1960. He took the given name Ngarta in 1973. He died in the coup of 13 April 1975.

   Wikipédia (en), List of heads of state of Chad · Encyclopædia Britannica, « Chad — History » · Tchadinfos (11/08/2026), « 8 présidents en 66 ans d’indépendance »

   Credit : Moshe Pridan (1959), François Tombalbaye, Wikimedia Commons, domaine public

2. NM

   2
   General

   Noël Milarew Odingar

   197513 April 1975 – 15 April 1975Interim head of state (2 days)Interim
   Context and sources

   1932 – 2007

   An officer of the Supreme Military Council, he held office between Tombalbaye’s death and Félix Malloum’s arrival. Some “presidents” lists omit him; head-of-state chronologies keep him.

   Wikipédia (en), List of heads of state of Chad · Wikipédia (fr), Liste des présidents du Tchad · Wikipédia (en), Noël Milarew Odingar — général début 1975

   No freely licensed portrait found

3. FM

   3
   General

   Félix Malloum N’Gakoutou

   1975 – 197915 April 1975 – 23 March 1979Chairman of the Supreme Military Council, then president of the Republic
   Context and sources

   1932 – 2009

   Born in Fort-Archambault (Sarh). He resigned on 23 March 1979, during the civil war, and went into exile.

   Wikipédia (en), List of heads of state of Chad · Tchadinfos (11/08/2026), « 8 présidents en 66 ans d’indépendance » · Encyclopædia Britannica, « Chad — History »

   No freely licensed portrait found

4. 4

   Goukouni Oueddei

   197923 March 1979 – 29 April 1979Chairman of the Provisional Council of State (1st term)
   Context and sources

   né en 1944

   Leader of FROLINAT–FAP. A first term of 37 days, before the transitional government of national unity.

   Wikipédia (en), List of heads of state of Chad · Wikipédia (fr), Liste des présidents du Tchad

   Credit : Ya235, Goukouni Oueddei, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

5. LM

   5

   Lol Mahamat Choua

   197929 April 1979 – 3 September 1979President of the Transitional Government of National Unity
   Context and sources

   1939 – 2019

   From the MPLT. He chaired the GUNT for about four months, then gave way to Goukouni Oueddei.

   Wikipédia (en), List of heads of state of Chad · Wikipédia (fr), Liste des présidents du Tchad

   No freely licensed portrait found

6. 6

   Goukouni Oueddei

   1979 – 19823 September 1979 – 7 June 1982President of the GUNT (2nd term)
   Context and sources

   né en 1944

   Second term until Hissène Habré deposed him on 7 June 1982.

   Wikipédia (en), List of heads of state of Chad · Encyclopædia Britannica, « Chad — History » · BBC News, « Chad profile — Timeline »

   Credit : Ya235, Goukouni Oueddei, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

7. 7

   Hissène Habré

   1982 – 19907 June 1982 – 1–2 December 1990President of the Republic
   Context and sources

   1942 – 2021

   Ousted by Idriss Déby in December 1990. The Extraordinary African Chambers in Dakar convicted him in 2016 of crimes against humanity, war crimes and torture.

   Wikipédia (en), List of heads of state of Chad · Human Rights Watch, procès Hissène Habré (Chambres africaines extraordinaires, Dakar, 2016) · BBC News, « Chad profile — Timeline »

   Credit : Commission européenne — Service audiovisuel (1989), Hissène Habré, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

8. 8
   Marshal

   Idriss Déby Itno

   1990 – 20212 December 1990 – 20 April 2021Chairman of the Council of State, then president of the RepublicTo be checked
   Context and sources

   1952 – 2021

   Took power in December 1990. He died in April 2021 in the north of the country, during an offensive. 1 December 1990 is sometimes listed with Jean Alingué Bawoyeu as acting president for one day: sources do not all agree.

   Wikipédia (en), List of heads of state of Chad · BBC News, « Chad profile — Timeline » · Encyclopædia Britannica, « Chad — History » · Wikipédia (fr), Idriss Déby — élevé maréchal du Tchad en 2020

   Credit : Maison-Blanche (Amanda Lucidon, 2014), Idriss Déby, Wikimedia Commons, domaine public

9. 9
   Marshal

   Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno

   since 202120 April 2021 – in officePresident of the Transitional Military Council, then president of the Republic
   Context and sources

   né en 1984

   Son of Idriss Déby. The CMT took power on 20 April 2021. A constitution was adopted by referendum in December 2023. The Constitutional Council confirmed his election in May 2024; inauguration was on 23 May 2024.

   Wikipédia (en), List of heads of state of Chad · RFI, présidentielle 2024 : le Conseil constitutionnel confirme Mahamat Idriss Déby · Tchadinfos (11/08/2026), « 8 présidents en 66 ans d’indépendance » · BBC News, « Chad profile — Timeline » · Wikipédia (fr), Mahamat Idriss Déby — élevé maréchal du Tchad en décembre 2024

   Credit : Département d’État des États-Unis (Sommet États-Unis–Afrique), Mahamat Idriss Déby, Wikimedia Commons, domaine public

Other documented figures

A sample, not a census. Names already published elsewhere on the site (writers, musicians): follow the links. No invented portrait, no unsourced biography.

• Ahounta Djimdoumalbaye

  Field · PalaeoanthropologyOn 19 July 2001, in the Djurab, he unearthed the Sahelanthropus tchadensis (Toumaï) skull, published in Nature in 2002. See the History page.History of ChadBrunet M. et al., « A new hominid from the Upper Miocene of Chad », Nature, 2002

• Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

  né en 1961 à AbéchéField · FilmThe first Chadian director of a feature film (Bye Bye Africa, 1999). A Screaming Man won the Cannes Jury Prize in 2010. He was minister of culture (2017–2018).Wikipédia, Mahamat Saleh Haroun

• Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim

  Field · Climate and indigenous peopleA Mbororo activist, founder of AFPAT (Association of Indigenous Peul Women of Chad). She maps pastoral and farm land with communities, and sits on UN bodies on indigenous issues.The MbororoWikipédia, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim

• Jacqueline Moudeina

  née en 1957Field · LawA lawyer, president of the Chadian Association for the Promotion and Defence of Human Rights. She represented victims of Hissène Habré before the Extraordinary African Chambers.Wikipédia, Jacqueline Moudeina

• Kaltouma Nadjina

  née en 1976 à BolField · AthleticsA sprinter (200 m and 400 m) from Bol (Lac). She has represented Chad at the Olympic Games and holds national sprint records.Lac provinceWikipédia, Kaltouma Nadjina

Already in the archive

Chadian literature · Musicians · History timeline

Sources

• Wikipédia (en), List of heads of state of Chad
• Encyclopædia Britannica, « Chad — History »
• Tchadinfos (11/08/2026), « 8 présidents en 66 ans d’indépendance »
• Wikipédia (fr), Liste des présidents du Tchad
• Wikipédia (en), Noël Milarew Odingar — général début 1975
• BBC News, « Chad profile — Timeline »
• Human Rights Watch, procès Hissène Habré (Chambres africaines extraordinaires, Dakar, 2016)
• Wikipédia (fr), Idriss Déby — élevé maréchal du Tchad en 2020
• RFI, présidentielle 2024 : le Conseil constitutionnel confirme Mahamat Idriss Déby
• Wikipédia (fr), Mahamat Idriss Déby — élevé maréchal du Tchad en décembre 2024
• Brunet M. et al., « A new hominid from the Upper Miocene of Chad », Nature, 2002
• Wikipédia, Mahamat Saleh Haroun
• Wikipédia, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim
• Wikipédia, Jacqueline Moudeina
• Wikipédia, Kaltouma Nadjina

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