Gunmen attempted to storm Chad’s presidential complex in the capital, N’Djamena, on Wednesday evening, leading to a fierce battle that left 19 people dead, including 18 attackers and one member of the presidential guard, according to the government.
The attackers, identified as a 24-member commando unit, launched the assault at around 7:45 pm (1845 GMT), opening fire inside the presidency before being subdued by the presidential guard. Government spokesman and foreign minister Abderaman Koulamallah said, “There were 18 dead and six injured” among the attackers, while the security forces “suffered one death and three injured, one of them seriously.”
Eyewitnesses reported hearing heavy gunfire near the complex, with tanks and armed police deployed in the streets. Roads leading to the presidency were sealed, and civilians fled the area in panic. The attackers reportedly breached the complex after overpowering four guards but were “easily overpowered” once inside, according to Koulamallah.
The government later clarified that the attackers were likely not terrorists but described them as drunken individuals under the influence of drugs. Koulamallah referred to them as “Pieds Nickelés,” likening them to hapless crooks from a French comic series, and said they were “completely drugged.”
Initially suspected to be linked to the Boko Haram jihadist group, Koulamallah dismissed the connection, stating the attackers were “probably not” associated with terrorism. Chad has faced frequent Boko Haram attacks in its western Lake Chad region, which borders Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger.
President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who was inside the complex during the attack, remained unharmed, Koulamallah confirmed. Hours before the assault, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had met with Deby and other officials at the presidential complex.
The incident occurred amid heightened tensions following Chad’s contested general election, held less than two weeks earlier. The government promoted the election as a step toward ending military rule, but opposition groups accused authorities of widespread fraud and voter suppression.
Chad, under military rule since Deby’s ascension in 2021 following his father’s death, has sought to consolidate power while navigating diplomatic shifts, including ending a military accord with France in November. Around 1,000 French military personnel stationed in Chad are currently withdrawing.
