Saleh Kebzabo

Saleh Kebzabo (born 1947) is a Chadian politician. He is the President of the National Union for Democracy and Renewal (UNDR) and a Deputy in the National Assembly of Chad.

Kebzabo was a director at the Chadian Press Agency, a member of the Democratic Movement for the Restoration of Chad (MDRT), and was a journalist at Jeune Afrique and Demain l'Afrique. He was subsequently the founder of N'Djaména Hebdo, Chad's first independent newspaper. He was a consul in Douala, Cameroon, but was expelled from Cameroon by President Paul Biya due to his support for Biya's predecessor, Ahmadou Ahidjo.

He was one of the founding members of the UNDR political party in December 1992. In April 1993, following the Sovereign National Conference, he was appointed as Minister of Trade and Industry in the government of Prime Minister Fidèle Moungar. This government lasted only six months before the Higher Transitional Council (CST) approved a censure motion against it.

Accused of working with rebels, in September 1995 Kebzabo was arrested and held for five days. Prior to the arrest, his home was searched without a warrant at night on August 30. Kebzabo was released after the opposition protested his detention, and he filed suit against the officials who were responsible for the incident.

Kebzabo's primary support base is in Mayo-Kebbi. He was a candidate in the June 1996 presidential election, placing third with 8.61% of the vote; he then backed President Idriss Déby for the second round. After Déby's victory, Kebzabo became Minister of Foreign Affairs in August 1996, serving in that position until he was named Minister of State for Public Works, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development on May 21, 1997. He was elected to the National Assembly as an UNDR candidate in the first round of the 1997 parliamentary election, although he remained in the government and did not take his seat.

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