At least 19 people have been killed in Chad when armed fighters attacked the presidential complex in the capital N’Djamena, according to the government, assuring the public that the situation was “under control” after an intervention by security forces.
18 of the 24 armed assailants were killed and one security officer lost his life during the violent confrontation around Chad’s presidential complex on Wednesday (8 January) evening, after security forces intervened to prevent the gunmen from storming the heavily fortified compound. Shortly afterward, foreign minister and government spokesperson, Abderaman Koulamallah, reassured the public that “the destabilization attempt was put down” and that soldiers were protecting the president, while infrastructure minister Aziz Mahamat Saleh said the situation was “under control.”
This assault coincided with an official visit from China’s foreign minister Wang Yi to N’Djamena who had just hours earlier engaged with Chad’s president Mahamat Idriss Deby and other high-ranking officials. Deby was in the presidential complex during the attack, Koulamallah confirmed. The incident occurred less than two weeks after Chad held a controversial general election that the government hailed as a decisive step towards the restoration of democratic rule, but that was marked by low turnout and opposition allegations of fraud.