19 Killed in Intense Gunfight at Chad’s Presidential Complex

A deadly battle at Chad’s presidential complex leaves 19 dead as gunmen launch a daring attack. Security forces respond with fierce resistance to repel the attackers.

On Wednesday, gunmen carried out a fatal attack on the presidential complex in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad. The ensuing intense battle resulted in 19 deaths: 18 attackers and one member of security personnel, as reported by the government.

A 24-member commando unit allegedly launched an assault on the complex, leading to intense gunfire. AFP reporters present heard heavy shooting and saw tanks positioned in the streets as security forces reacted to the attack.

The government announced the confirmed death toll and reassured citizens that the situation is under control.

Government spokesman and Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah told AFP that among the attackers, 18 were killed and six injured. On their side, there was one death and three injuries, with one person in serious condition.

Hours following the shooting, Koulamallah featured in a video uploaded to Facebook. He was flanked by soldiers and had a gun on his belt as he stated, “the situation is completely under control… the destabilization attempt was put down.”

A security source indicated that the assailants belonged to the Boko Haram jihadist group. However, Koulamallah later suggested they were “probably not” terrorists and characterized them as inebriated “Pieds Nickeles,” alluding to a French comic about inept criminals.

He mentioned that they assaulted four guards prior to entering the presidential complex, where they were “easily overpowered.” He also noted that the surviving attackers appeared to be “completely drugged.”

Chad, a landlocked country governed by military rule, frequently encounters attacks from Boko Haram. These incidents occur predominantly in the western Lake Chad area bordering Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger.

It recently terminated a military agreement with its former colonial power, France, and has faced accusations of meddling in the conflict devastating neighboring Sudan.

According to several security sources, an armed commando unit opened fire within the presidential premises on Wednesday evening at approximately 7:45 pm (1845 GMT). They were eventually subdued by the presidential guard.

According to an AFP reporter on site, tanks were visible on the streets and all routes leading to the presidency were obstructed.

As civilians hurried out of the city center in cars and on motorcycles, armed police were visible at various locations throughout the district.

A few hours prior to the shootout, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held meetings with President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno and other senior officials.

Koulamallah stated that Deby was present in the complex when the attack occurred.

— The last of France’s bases in the Sahel —

The former French colony was home to France’s final military bases in the Sahel region. However, Chad terminated defense and security agreements with Paris at the end of November, labeling them as “obsolete.”

Approximately one thousand French military personnel were deployed in the country and are currently being withdrawn.

France was previously expelled from three Sahelian countries with governments led by juntas that are hostile to Paris—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

Senegal and Ivory Coast have additionally requested that France remove its military bases from their territories.

– As the father is, so is the son –

Less than two weeks after Chad conducted a disputed general election, gunfire broke out. The government praised the election as an important move towards ending military rule; however, it was characterized by low voter turnout and opposition claims of fraud.

The opposition’s call for voters to boycott the election paved the way for candidates allied with the president, who came to power through a military intervention in 2021 and was subsequently legitimized by a May presidential election criticized as fraudulent by opposition members.

Deby assumed leadership following the passing of his father, who had governed the nation with an iron fist for thirty years.

The desert nation is an oil producer, yet it ranks as the fourth lowest on the United Nations Human Development Index.

To strengthen his hold on power, Deby has reorganized the army, which has traditionally been dominated by the Zaghawas and Gorane—his mother’s ethnic group.

In terms of diplomacy, he has pursued new strategic alliances, including those with Russia and Hungary.