Chad’s government says 19 killed during foiled attack on presidential complex

Authorities are cautious about drawing conclusions, with government spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah stating that it was "probably not" a terrorist act.

By: Express Web Desk

Updated: January 10, 2025 02:07 AM IST

2 min read

Eighteen assailants and one presidential guard were killed during the attack on the presidential complex in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, on Wednesday night, the public prosecutor said on Thursday.

The incident carried out by a group of two dozen armed “ill-intentioned individuals” occurred on Wednesday night, with bursts of gunfire heard near the president’s office in the capital, N’Djamena, as the military blocked surrounding streets. The authorities later confirmed that the attack had been foiled and stated that the situation was under control.

The attack comes at a sensitive time for Chad, which recently scrapped a defence cooperation pact with France, its longtime partner in the fight against Islamist militants in West and Central Africa’s Sahel region, which has been plagued by insurgencies.

The public prosecutor said the 24 assailants, who drove up to the presidential palace, pretended to have a breakdown before attacking security guards at the gate, killing two and wounding five others. Security forces responded by killing 18 of the assailants and injuring six, who were hospitalised. Investigations are ongoing to identify the instigators and accomplices.

While some reports suggest the assailants appeared disorganised and armed with knives and machetes, the link to jihadist groups, ethnic tensions, or unrest from the war in neighbouring Sudan remains unclear. Authorities are cautious about drawing conclusions, with government spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah stating that it was “probably not” a terrorist act and referred to the attackers as drunken “Pieds Nickeles”, a reference to a French comic featuring hapless crooks.

In a prior interview on national television, Koulamallah described the assailants as appearing “intoxicated and disorganised” and noted they were “only armed with knives and machetes.”

Tensions remain high, particularly given Chad’s leadership under President Mahamat Idriss Deby, who seized power after his father’s death.

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