Gunmen attempted to storm the presidential complex in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, on Wednesday, leading to a deadly confrontation that left 18 attackers and one security personnel member dead, according to the government.
The assault triggered heavy gunfire near the complex, with AFP reporters witnessing tanks on the streets and hearing intense shooting.
Security sources indicated that armed men tried to breach the presidential complex. Later, the government confirmed that 19 people had died in the attack—18 of them from the 24-member commando unit that launched the assault.
“There were 18 dead and six injured among the attackers, and we suffered one death and three injured, one of them seriously,” said government spokesman and Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah.
Koulamallah appeared in a Facebook video hours later, flanked by soldiers and armed, stating, “The situation is completely under control… the destabilisation attempt was put down.”
While a security source initially identified the attackers as members of the Boko Haram jihadist group, Koulamallah disputed this, describing them as drunken “Pieds Nickeles”—a term referencing hapless crooks from a French comic series. He added that the attackers were “completely drugged” and easily overpowered after assaulting four guards and entering the presidential complex.
Chad, under military rule, frequently faces attacks from Boko Haram, particularly in the Lake Chad region bordering Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger. The country recently terminated its military accord with France, deeming it “obsolete,” and has faced accusations of interfering in the ongoing conflict in neighbouring Sudan.
The attack occurred around 7:45 pm (1845 GMT) on Wednesday evening, with an armed commando unit firing inside the presidency before being subdued by the presidential guard. Roads leading to the complex were barricaded, and tanks were deployed in the streets, creating panic among civilians who fled the area on cars and motorcycles. Armed police were stationed at key locations, according to AFP reporters.
The incident coincided with a visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who had earlier met with President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno and other senior officials. Koulamallah confirmed that Deby was in the presidential complex during the attack.
This attack comes less than two weeks after Chad held a contested general election, which the government celebrated as a step towards ending military rule. However, the election was marked by low turnout and opposition allegations of fraud. A boycott by opposition groups enabled candidates aligned with the president to dominate the polls.
President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno assumed power in 2021 after the death of his father, Idriss Deby, who ruled Chad for three decades. The younger Deby was legitimised in a presidential election in May, which opposition groups also criticised as fraudulent.
On the military front, Deby has reshaped the armed forces, traditionally led by his father’s ethnic group, the Zaghawas, and the Gorane, his mother’s ethnic group. Diplomatically, he has sought new alliances, including with Russia and Hungary.
Chad, an oil-producing nation, remains one of the poorest countries globally, ranking fourth from the bottom in the United Nations Human Development Index. The country has also been realigning its defence policies, recently ending military agreements with France, which had previously stationed about 1,000 personnel in Chad. This decision follows similar moves by other Sahel nations like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, which have ousted French forces.
Chad’s ongoing challenges include domestic instability, militant threats, and a need for strengthened governance amidst widespread poverty.
