Chad foils armed attack on presidential complex, 19 killed
At least 19 people were killed in Chad following a failed attempt by armed fighters to storm the presidential complex in the capital, N’Djamena, on Wednesday evening. Government officials reported that security forces neutralized the assault, killing 18 out of 24 attackers, while one member of the security forces also died in the gunfire.
Chad’s Foreign Minister and government spokesman, Abderaman Koulamallah, confirmed the casualties, adding that six attackers were injured and three security personnel, one seriously wounded, were also affected. Koulamallah, appearing in a video after the incident, declared, “The situation is completely under control … the destabilisation attempt was put down.”
The attack occurred while Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was visiting Chad, meeting with President Mahamat Idriss Deby and senior officials earlier that day. President Deby was reportedly in the complex during the attack.
The perpetrators were initially linked to the Boko Haram group by some security sources, but Koulamallah dismissed this claim, describing the assailants as drunken “Pieds Nickeles,” a reference to hapless French comic characters. Another security source speculated the incident could have been an “attempted terrorist attack.”
The attack comes shortly after Chad’s contested general election, marked by low voter turnout and opposition allegations of fraud. The country is transitioning from military rule following President Deby’s rise to power in 2021 after the death of his father, long-serving President Idriss Deby.
Chad has also seen significant geopolitical shifts recently, including the termination of defense agreements with France and the withdrawal of French troops from the country. This follows broader Sahelian trends, as nations in the region distance themselves from Paris amid growing anti-French sentiment.
China, through its foreign ministry, expressed firm support for Chad’s efforts to maintain safety and stability following the assault.
Source: Aljazeera
