François Tombalbaye
François Tombalbaye (Arabic: فرنسوا تومبالباي Franswā Tūmbālbāy; 15 June 1918 – 13 April 1975), also known as N'Garta Tombalbaye, was a Chadian politician who served as the first President of Chad from the country's independence in 1960 until his overthrow in 1975. A dictatorial leader, his divisive policies as president led to factional conflict and a pattern of authoritarian leadership and political instability that are still relevant in Chad today.
François Tombalbaye | |
|---|---|
فرنسوا تومبالباي | |
Tombalbaye in the 1970s | |
| 1st President of Chad | |
| In office 11 August 1960 – 13 April 1975 | |
| Prime Minister | None |
| Succeeded by | Noël Milarew Odingar (as interim head of state) |
| Colonial Prime Minister of Chad | |
| In office 26 March 1959 – 11 August 1960 | |
| Preceded by | Ahmed Koulamallah (as President of Provisional Govt.) |
| Succeeded by | Hissène Habré (as PM of independent Chad, in 1978) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | François Tombalbaye فرنسوا تومبالباي 15 June 1918 Béssada, Chad, French Equatorial Africa |
| Died | 13 April 1975 (aged 56) N'Djamena, Chad |
| Cause of death | Murdered by soldiers in the 1975 Chadian coup d'état |
| Political party | PPT (1947–1973) MNRCS (1973–1975) |
| Profession | Teacher Trade unionist |
| Religion | Protestant |
| Signature | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Chad |
| Branch/service | Free French Forces |
| Battles/wars | World War II Chadian Civil War (1965–1979) |
A native of the south of the country, Tombalbaye began his career as a teacher during French colonial rule and joined the Chadian Progressive Party (PPT) in 1946. After serving in the colonial legislature in the 1950s, he succeeded Gabriel Lisette as the PPT's leader in 1959 and was appointed the country's first president upon gaining independence in 1960. In 1962, he declared the PPT the sole legal party and presided over a corrupt dictatorship characterized by extreme favoritism to his southern-based patronage network. In addition to his dictatorial rule, he also attempted an Africanization program that worsened the divide between the Muslim north and the Christian and animist south. In 1965, tax riots erupted into a civil war between his government and northern FROLINAT rebels. During the war, his regime was supported by France, while FROLINAT was supported by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
In 1973, he founded a new party, the National Movement for the Cultural and Social Revolution (MNRCS), changed his name to N'Garta Tombalbaye and attempted to further Africanize the country through a program of authenticité. As the civil war continued and his support in the south dwindled, he was overthrown and assassinated by members of the Chadian military during the 1975 Chadian coup d'état and replaced by Félix Malloum.