Chad transitional president General Mahamat Idriss Deby greets supporters as he arrives at the Chadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs ahead of the start of an inauguration meeting of a coalition of parties for his candidacy for the presidential election of May 6 in N'Djamena on March 2, 2024. (PHOTO / AFP)

YAOUNDE - Chad's transitional President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno on Saturday formally announced his candidacy for the presidential election to be held in May.

Deby, 39, made the announcement during a political rally of more than 200 political parties that formed a coalition, For a United Chad.

The first round of the presidential election is scheduled in the Central African country on May 6, with a possible second round on June 22

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"Reassured by your support, I, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, am a candidate for the 2024 presidential election under the banner of For a United Chad," he said during the rally in the capital, N'Djamena.

The announcement came two months after the Patriotic Salvation Movement, Chad's ruling party, appointed Deby as its presidential candidate and honorary president. Deby, a former army general, assumed power following the death of his father, Idriss Deby Itno, in an attack in 2021.

He has since led a transitional government to govern the country, which has been experiencing political and military crises. "With this commitment, I assure you that I will not back down in front of any challenge," he said.

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The first round of the presidential election is scheduled in the Central African country on May 6, with a possible second round on June 22.