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Chad junta and rebels gear for tricky talks in Qatar

General Mahamat Idriss Deby took the helm after his father, veteran president Idriss Deby Itno, died fighting rebels
— N'Djamena (AFP)

Chad's ruling junta is scheduled to meet rebel leaders in Qatar on Sunday for delayed talks aimed at coaxing armed groups into joining a "national dialogue" on the troubled country's future.

The so-called precursor talks in the Qatari capital will be a key moment for strongman Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno's declared aim of returning an elected government to Chad.

Initially scheduled for February 27, the highly sensitive meeting has been confirmed by Mutlaq Al-Qahtani, Qatar's special envoy for counter-terrorism and conflict resolution.

Qatar "will host Chadian peace talks in Doha next Sunday", he said.

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