Chad’s presidential compound was targeted in a daring overnight assault by two dozen armed individuals, but swift action by security forces neutralised the threat, according to a statement by the country’s public prosecutor on Thursday. Despite the dramatic events, details surrounding the attack remain unclear.
Gunfire echoed across N’Djamena, Chad’s capital, on Wednesday night as the military sealed off streets around the presidential palace. Later, the government announced it had successfully thwarted an attempt to destabilise the country, emphasising that the situation was under control.
The attack occurred during a sensitive period for Chad, which recently ended its defence pact with France—a long-standing Western ally in combating Islamist militancy in the Sahel. For over a decade, the region has grappled with insurgencies involving groups linked to Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and Boko Haram.
Neighbouring nations such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have shifted from Western alliances to Russian military support, reflecting growing instability in the region.
According to the prosecutor, 24 armed assailants approached the presidential palace under the guise of a vehicle breakdown before launching their attack. Armed with knives and machetes, they killed two security guards and injured five others. Security forces responded with decisive force, killing 18 of the attackers and wounding six, who were later hospitalised.
Investigations are underway to uncover the identities of those behind the assault. In an earlier televised interview, government spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah described the attackers as intoxicated and disorganised. He suggested it was “probably not” a terrorist act, though speculation about potential links to jihadist groups, ethnic tensions, or fallout from the conflict in Sudan persists.
By Thursday morning, life in N’Djamena had returned to normal, with no further reports of gunfire. However, military checkpoints continued to block access to areas near the presidency.
President Mahamat Idriss Deby, who assumed power after the death of his father, Idriss Deby, faces mounting challenges. His father ruled Chad for decades following a coup in the early 1990s, leading a country with vast oil reserves but persistent poverty.
Enrica Picco, a crisis expert with the International Crisis Group, noted the swift and forceful neutralisation of the attackers, suggesting heightened vigilance at the presidential palace. “Tensions are very high,” she said, adding that Deby faces numerous enemies seeking to replace him or reshape Chad’s response to its ongoing crises.
As investigations continue, questions linger over the motive and broader implications of this brazen assault on Chad’s leadership.
Melissa Enoch
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