In a somewhat surprising turn of events, a senior Chadian official said that the Wednesday (8 January) deadly assault on the presidential complex in N’Djamena may have been orchestrated with French involvement, in the context of Paris’s opposition to Chad’s independence.
Chad made headlines when, on Wednesday night, its presidential palace in the capital N’Djamena was attacked by 24 heavily armed assailants, which came amid an official visit by China’s foreign minister, withdrawal of French troops, and instability caused by armed groups. In the wake of the attack, which saw 19 people killed, Takilal Ndolassem Hilaire, a national advisor, implied that France’s opposition to Chad’s independence and Paris’s long-term interest to use the country as a useful “free aircraft carrier” led to the attack on the presidential palace. Hilaire also suggested that France’s assertion of the attack as “a coup d’état” was not an accident.
According to an analysis in Sri Lanka Guardian, a news website known for its independent news coverage, this “destabilization attempt” in Chad “has raised more questions than answers, especially against the backdrop of growing geopolitical tensions in the Sahel region.” The analysis, titled ‘Did French and Western Intelligence Orchestrate a Fresh Coup in Chad?’, notes that foreign powers have in recent years justified their involvement in the landlocked central African country under the pretext of fighting Islamist extremism in the Sahel.
Historically, it was through a significant on-the-ground presence of French intelligence agencies and the CIA in Chad that ensured the country remained within the sphere of Western influence. “As Chad’s alliances continue to evolve, the specter of foreign meddling looms large,” the analysis asserts, posing a question as to whether “the West’s shadowy hand played a role in this latest crisis, or is Chad simply navigating the turbulent waters of a new geopolitical reality?”