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On Wednesday evening, the usually bustling streets of N’Djamena, Chad’s capital, were shaken by the sound of gunfire echoing near the presidential palace. Witnesses reported the presence of armored tanks and a heightened security deployment, creating an atmosphere of tension and uncertainty.
AFP correspondents on the ground described a city gripped by unease, with military vehicles patrolling key areas as residents sought safety amid the chaos.
A security official disclosed that gunmen breached the presidential compound, targeting its interior in what appeared to be a coordinated attack. However, authorities have yet to issue a statement regarding the incident. Witnesses described a city on lockdown, with key routes to the presidency barricaded and tanks stationed prominently across N’Djamena, as per AFP journalists.
Panic spread through the city center as civilians fled in cars and on motorcycles, seeking safety from the chaos. Armed police officers were stationed at key points, their presence adding to the air of tension.
The gunfire came barely two weeks after the country, located in the northern part of Africa, held a contentious general election that had already stirred political unease.
While the government celebrated the election as a significant step in steering the nation away from military dominance, the event drew criticism for its lackluster turnout and persistent allegations of vote tampering by opposition factions, tarnishing its credibility.
The election had taken place against a backdrop of recurring attacks by the jihadist group Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, the ending of a military accord with former colonial master France, and accusations that Chad was interfering in the conflict ravaging neighbouring Sudan.
Several hours earlier on Wednesday, China’s foreign minister Wang Li met with President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno and other senior officials.
Read also: Chadian Forces Kill B’Haram Invaders At Presidential Palace
The former French colony hosted France’s last military bases in the region known as the Sahel, but at the end of November it ended the defence and security agreements with Paris, calling them “obsolete”.
Around a thousand French military personnel were stationed there and are in the process of being withdrawn.
France is now reconfiguring its military presence in Africa after being driven out of three Sahelian countries governed by juntas hostile to Paris — Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Both Senegal and Ivory Coast have now formally requested France to pull out its military forces from their territories, signaling a shift in Africa’s relationship with its former colonizer. This move comes in the wake of rising anti-French sentiment, particularly within the Sahel region.
Meanwhile, in Chad, Mahamat Idriss Déby, who inherited the leadership of the country in 2021 following the sudden death of his father, Idriss Déby Itno, has faced the daunting task of maintaining control in a nation historically marked by authoritarian rule. Idriss Déby Itno’s iron-fisted governance spanned over three decades, casting a long shadow over his son’s reign.
The country’s opposition has accused his government of being autocratic and repressive. The desert country is an oil producer but is ranked fourth from bottom in the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI).
To fortify his rule and ensure his grip on power, Mahamat Idriss Déby has undertaken a reshuffling of the armed forces, a strategic move that reshapes a military long influenced by the Zaghawa and Gorane ethnic groups, the latter being tied to his maternal lineage.
This shift is seen as an effort to strengthen his control over the country’s security apparatus. Meanwhile, Déby has pursued new international alliances, notably with Russia and Hungary, signaling Chad’s intent to recalibrate its diplomatic approach amid changing global dynamics.