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Chad’s government has reported a thwarted “destabilisation attempt” on the presidential complex on Wednesday evening, resulting in the death of 19 individuals just hours after a visit by the Chinese foreign minister to the central African country.
Foreign minister Abderaman Koulamallah stated that the assailants, who remain unidentified, engaged in a confrontation with security forces, leading to the death of 18 out of the 24 attackers, with one casualty on the government’s side.
The attack in N’Djamena occurred following Chad’s termination of a security pact with France and the order for the departure of the 1,000 French soldiers stationed in the country. China’s foreign minister Wang Yi, as part of his tour of Africa, had met with President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno and other high-ranking officials earlier in the day but had already left the palace by the time of the incident, which began around 8 pm local time and lasted approximately an hour.
China has emerged as Chad’s principal trading and investment partner, with Déby and Chinese President Xi Jinping elevating their relationship to a “strategic partnership” during a meeting in Beijing last September. In response to the attack, a spokesperson from the Chinese foreign ministry stated that China fully supports Chad’s efforts to maintain national security and stability, emphasizing that the incident will not disrupt the country’s peaceful and stable environment.
Despite Chad’s historical alliance with western forces in combating Islamist extremists in the Sahel region, President Déby has been actively seeking new partnerships since assuming power following his father’s death in 2021. In addition to strengthening ties with Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Chad has deepened its relationship with Beijing.
During the attack, President Déby was present at the palace, where the assailants briefly breached the complex. In a Facebook video later that evening, Minister Koulamallah downplayed the incident, describing it as a minor disruption that had been successfully averted.
The government prosecutor is set to provide further details on the attack on Thursday. As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the assault. Minister Koulamallah revealed in a subsequent interview on state television that the attackers seemed to be intoxicated, disorganized, and armed with knives and machetes.
The minister added, “These individuals originated from a specific neighborhood in N’Djamena, although I will refrain from disclosing the exact location. Their actions were chaotic and difficult to comprehend.”
Additional reporting by Tina Hu in Beijing
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