Youssouf Saleh Abbas (Arabic: يوسف صالح عباس Yūsuf Ṣāliḥ ʿAbbās; born c. 1953[1]) is a Chadian political figure who was Prime Minister of Chad from April 2008 to March 2010.

[2][3] He studied in Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia and then in France, earning a master's degree in international relations.

From August 1997 to December 1999, he was the Director-General of the Agence Tchadienne d’Exécution des Travaux d’Intérêt Public with the support and cooperation of the World Bank.

Abbas, in opposition to President Déby, joined the Tibesti-based Movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad (MDJT), a rebel group led by Youssouf Togoïmi, when it was formed in October 1998, serving from Paris[5] (he lived in exile in France for several years[2]) as the group's External Coordinator.

At the time of his appointment, Abbas was considered a relative unknown among the public, but he was well regarded in political circles.

Mahamat Nouri of the National Alliance said that no fundamental change could occur under Déby and described the appointment as a meaningless "non-event".

[8] The main coalition of opposition parties, the Coordination of Political Parties for Defence of the Constitution (CPDC), had previously suspended talks with the government following the February 2008 battle of N'Djamena, during which three opposition leaders (including CPDC spokesman Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh) had been arrested.