Chad junta chief flying to Qatar for peace deal with rebels

The head of Chad's ruling junta Friday flew off to Qatar to seal a possible peace deal with rebels, a key step in plans to restore civilian rule, the presidency's website said.

Earlier, diplomats and negotiators in Doha said Deby and opposition groups would sign an accord on Monday, opening the way for the rebels to attend a "national inclusive dialogue" on Chad's future.

He has promised to stage elections within an 18-month timeframe.

The ballot would follow a "dialogue" gathering representatives across Chadian society, including its political opposition and constellation of rebel groups.

On the table is a government plan for a ceasefire and guarantees of security for rebel leaders who attend the forum.

The main armed opposition Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) has not yet announced whether it will sign the accord.

FACT fighters were among rebels battling the senior Deby when he was killed last year after an iron-fisted reign lasting 30 years.

According to a decree signed Thursday by Prime Minister Albert Pahimi Padacke, more than 1,300 representatives of rebel groups, civil society, trade unions and government officials will attend the talks in the Chadian capital.

The 18-month timeframe set by Deby runs out in October, which leaves little time to prepare for elections in the vast arid country.

The junta has given itself the option of extending the deadline but faces pressure from France, the European Union and African Union not to do so.