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Idriss Deby

N‘DJAMENA. — Chad’s president Idriss Deby has sacked Finance Minister Christian Georges Diguimbaye, a government decree showed. The decree dated November 21, reviewed by Reuters yesterday, also dismissed Diguimabye’s deputy, Banata Tchalet Sow. It gave no reason for the sackings.

Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul, the minister, secretary-general of the government in charge of institutional reform, will serve as interim finance minister, the decree said.

Diguimbaye and Sow’s dismissal came amid a standoff with Swiss-based commodities giant Glencore over more than $1 billion the West African country owes it in oil-backed loans.

Chad is under pressure to restructure its debt to Glencore for a second time after the International Monetary Fund said this year that its external commercial debt was unsustainable. Chad pumps about 130 000 barrels per day of oil, but ranks 186th out of 188 countries on the UN Human Development Index. — Reuters.