“Idris déby, you are in trouble"



It was an unusually cold morning in the African Sahel, a place characterized by constant intense heat, with a touch of an unvarying temperature. The revving of engine of multiple Toyota pickup trucks speeding across the extremely arid land of northern chad.

With the tagelmust’s that masks the face of the men sitting joyously at the back of the pickup trucks, it was hard to identify the man who sat amongst them unceremoniously, the man remarkably was also their indefatigable commander whom had just led them to victory. Recognizing his peculiar black glasses which always hangs from his neatly packed tagelmust, reveals that he is idriss Déby, an increasingly popular commander in the Chadian army.

At the back of the pickup truck which the man rode in, was an anti tank missile glamorously pointing up ready to blast at unscrupulous targets. The year was 1987, the throngs of pickup trucks were returning from Libya where they had just destroyed a Libyan garrison, it was the beginning of a new era, the “Toyota war era".

The Toyota war
The number of Toyota pickup trucks fitted with different calibres of anti tank and anti aircraft weapons in service with the Chadian army in the so called “Toyota War" against Libya had totalled four hundred by the time the war was at its peak. This extensive use of Toyota Hilux and Land cruiser gave birth to the name of the war, “Toyota war".

The Chadians had driven the invading Libyan army back into Libyan territory, further compounding the rout and humiliation of the heavily funded Libyan army under their charismatic leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The victory stunned the world, the Chadian army led by highly skilled and motivated commanders, amongst whom was that commander and the current Chadian president Idriss Déby. The commanders notably included Hassan Djmaous, idriss Déby, and the then president Hassène Habré whom had personally led the Chadian army against the Libyans.

The use of “technicals" as it would later become known as, had been limited in modern warfare, as most modern army preferred using armoured personnel carriers and tanks in fighting its land wars. But idriss Déby along with his fellow commanders discovered that riding in a usually unarmoured light Toyota pickup truck, across Libyan minefields meant the mines wouldn’t detonate since they were built for the heavy armoured tanks and carriers of most modern army.




When idriss Déby led the Chadian on its attack on Maaten al-sarra Air base he never would have imagined that he was giving birth to the world’s most popular but unlikely weapon of terrorism, which remarkably would come back to bite back some thirtysomething years later.

That particular battle would prove very decisive in ending the war against Libya, as the destruction of that Libyan airbase would lead to the signing of a ceasefire some days later.

The beginning
Born in north-east, Chad in 1952, he joined the army in the 1970’s sent to France for pilot training, he came back in 1979 to a war torn country. He became loyal to Hisséne Habre, who later became the president of chad in 1982, he eventually made a mark in the history of his nation as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces when he destroyed the Libyan army utilizing his famous Toyota pickup trucks.

An enigma of some sort, he managed to survive the army purges by his erstwhile boss, escaped to Libya and joined forces with the man whom he had tactfully destroyed his army some years back-Muammar Gaddafi.

In 1990 he successfully wrested power from his former boss now turned opponent Hesséne Habre, and installed himself as Chad’s president.

By the turn of the new century he was firmly in control of all of chad.

The rising tensions between the country’s Muslim and Christian population led to a coup attempt by some disgruntled soldiers which was thwarted before they could shoot down his plane.

An unnamed Chadian journalist reacting to the news of the attempted coup remarked, “He escapes, he escapes, he escapes - but until when?”.

The rebels attempting to dispose him once again struck, this time he ditched his popular Toyota pickup truck for a helicopter, from where he flew, personally commanding the attack against the rebels.

The big attack
Since his war in 1987 where he helped develop the Toyota pickup tactics, Toyota pickups have become a symbol of war in the world.

Terrorists across the African Sahel and the middle east most notably use it as formidable weapon of ‘mass destruction’ in waging its wars.

On March 25, 2020, news broke across the international media of a devastating attack on the Chadian armed forces, where the calculated loses amounted to 92 soldiers, an attack that has been described as the worst terrorist attack on the country’s armed forces.

The credit for the attack was claimed by the west African based terrorist group-boko haram, a group that has been active in the region for the last ten years.

"It’s the first time we have lost so many men," the voice of idriss Déby echoed from the television sets across the country.

Many agreed it was a test on his presidency and his resolve, but few predicted what happened next.

A few days later, images appeared across the world’s media of a number of dead bodies in uniforms, all of whom looked like those of the terrorist group boko haram.

The following day more images appeared showing hundreds of weapons, of different calibres seized from the same terrorist group.

When the media sites officially ran the news, it was confirmed that roughly a thousand terrorists had been killed within the country’s border with Nigeria, in what has been described as the most devastating attack on the group since they were formed.


Few understood what had transpired, it in fact turned out that the Chadian “Toyota war" Lord idriss Déby had personally travelled down to the frontlines, taken command of his garrison, and led them to the greatest victory against the terrorists, once again riding at the top of his favourite weapon of choice, a Toyota pickup truck.


"People of Chad, leave us alone, thiìs operation is not approved by the Qur'an. It is not the will of the Prophet Muhammed but if you want to continue, God will help us too because he is bigger than you” the leader of the insurgent group, Abubakar shekau released a recording begging the Chadians.

He further threatened the Chadian leader telling him “idriss Déby ,you are in trouble”, but riding in a Toyota pickup truck, Idriss Déby probably will shrug him off as a little trouble.

By Igbokwe Emmanuel chiemerie

@copyright images from Al Jazeera

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Good for him

Not many people know, but a Toyota Hilux is the best war machine you can get cheaply.

That's why the past governor of Borno state.used his state security vote to buy 50 of them for the Nigeria Army

How dare that idris invade Nigeria, and kill Nigerians, and abducted them to be tried in chad..on top of that giving us ultimatum on what to do...


How dare him

Blackfire:
How dare that idris invade Nigeria, and kill Nigerians, and abducted them to be tried in chad..on top of that giving us ultimatum on what to do...


How dare him

Shekau, is that you?

Omo see him camo like agbada,Nigerian counterpart go iron uniform like say na Christmas cloth go office go Sidon like bank manager only to be technically defeating enemies while enemies unleash terror.

And burantashi is in abuja drinking moet&chandons, business generals