At least 19 people were killed Wednesday in a violent confrontation when security forces intervened to stop armed assailants from attacking Chad’s presidential complex in N’Djamena.
The government said 18 of the 24 attackers were killed during the failed assault on President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno’s office, while one security officer also died in the clash.
Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah reassured the public, stating that the president was safe and that the situation was under control. He confirmed that the assault occurred just hours after China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi had met with President Deby and other high-ranking officials during an official visit.
“I want to reassure everyone that the situation is completely under control,” Koulamallah said in a live broadcast, flanked by soldiers. “The attempt to destabilize the country has been thwarted.”
Residents in N’Djamena reported hearing gunfire for several minutes near the presidential compound as military vehicles and heavily armed troops patrolled the streets.
Koulamallah added that six attackers were injured in the assault, while one security officer was killed and three others injured, one of them seriously.
Chad’s government had been on high alert since recent parliamentary elections, which were boycotted by the main opposition parties. Results from the elections are still pending, but analysts believe the outcome could further cement Deby’s grip on power.
Deby, who assumed leadership after his father’s death in 2021 during an insurgency, was elected president last year in a vote that was widely criticized for lacking credibility.
The attack on the presidential complex marks the latest in a series of security challenges for the country, which has experienced several coups in recent decades.