Chad interim president Deby kicks off campaign for vote set to end junta rule

FILE PHOTO: President of Chad Mahamat Idriss Deby gestures as he arrives for a meeting over security in the Sahel region at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, November 12, 2021. The REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

N'DJAMENA (Reuters) - Chad's interim President Mahamat Idriss Deby kicked off his presidential campaign on Sunday for an election next month meant to end three years of military rule on a promise to strengthen security and boost the economy.

Deby's government is one of several juntas that seized power in West and Central Africa since 2020, drawing concerns of a democratic backslide.