FOREIGN LEADERS ARRIVE FOR STATE FUNERAL AS REBELS THREATEN ADVANCE

Foreign leaders began to arrive in Chad on Thursday for the funeral of slain president Idriss Deby as France backed the country's new military leaders in the face of threats from rebels to resume an offensive on the capital.

The presidents of Guinea and Mali arrived in the capital N'djamena, state television showed, despite warnings from the rebels that foreign leaders should not attend for security reasons. French President Emmanuel Macron was also due to travel to Chad overnight for the funeral on Friday.

A military council led by Gen. Mahamat Idriss Deby took power after his father, who had ruled for 30 years and was a close ally of Western powers in the fight against Islamist militants, was killed in battle with the rebels on Monday.