The Nigerian-based militant group Boko Haram has a new leader,
Chad's President Idriss Deby says.
He did not say what had happened to Abubakar Shekau, but said he
had been replaced by Mahamat Daoud - who has not been heard of before.
Mr Shekau has not featured in the group's recent videos, leading
to speculation that he has been killed.
Mr Deby, whose troops have been involved in battling Boko Haram,
said Mr Daoud was open to dialogue.
The BBC's Nigeria correspondent Will Ross says that last year,
the Chadian leader was said to be brokering peace talks with Boko Haram.
But the negotiations never happened and were widely seen as a
sham so some analysts will question how much credence to give to Mr Deby's
latest comments about the jihadist group, he adds.
Mr Shekau took over as the group's leader after the its founder,
Muhammad Yusuf, died in Nigerian police custody in July 2009.
Under his leadership the group has become more radical and
carried out more killings.
Previous reports about his death proved to be untrue.
The last Boko Haram video, which was released earlier this
month, showed an unidentified young man speaking in the name of the Islamic
State in West Africa calling on people to be patient: "We are still
present everywhere we had been before."
He spoke in the regional Hausa language, with an accent from the
Kanuri ethnic group, to which Mr Shekau belongs.
In numerous videos, Mr Shekau has taunted the Nigerian
authorities, celebrating the group's violent acts including the abduction of
the more than 200 Chibok schoolgirls in April 2014.
He was last heard from in March, when he released an audio
message pledging allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group.
Last month, Nigeria's new President Muhammadu Buhari said he
would be willing to negotiate with the Boko Haram leadership for the release of
the Chibok girls - depending on the credibility of those saying they
represented the group.
A previous prisoner-swap attempt ended in failure.
Earlier this year, Chadian troops played a key role in a
regional effort to retake towns and villages held in north-eastern Nigerian by
Boko Haram.
Boko Haram at a glance
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Founded in 2002, initially focused on opposing Western-style
education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the
Hausa language
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Launched military operations in 2009
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Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria, abducted
hundreds, including at least 200 schoolgirls
§
Joined Islamic State, now calls itself "West African
province"
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Seized large area in north-east, where it declared caliphate
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Regional force has retaken most territory this year
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