An armed assault on Chad’s presidential palace in N’Djamena on Wednesday night resulted in 19 fatalities, including 18 assailants and one soldier, with three other soldiers wounded.
The attack occurred while President Mahamat Deby Itno was inside the complex. Six suspects were taken into custody following the attack.
This video shows the moment attackers managed to overrun guards at the gate of the presidential palace in N’Djamena, Chad.
It appears President Mahamat Déby Itno isn’t as untouchable as he might think. pic.twitter.com/nLPg5S13i6
— Yusuf (@TurtleYusuf) January 9, 2025
Speaking in a live broadcast from the palace, foreign affairs minister Abderaman Koulamallah, assured the public that the attack posed no ongoing threat. Koulamallah praised the guards’ swift response to the incident.
chad 🇹🇩 : Government spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah went live on his Facebook page 20 minutes ago from the Presidential Palace. He said everything would be calm now and under control. Another video circulating shows alleged attackers, some killed and some arrested. pic.twitter.com/cjZMnZiVef
— African News feed. (@africansinnews) January 8, 2025
He dismissed speculation that the assault was an act of terrorism, suggesting that the attackers, whom he described as disorganized and intoxicated, were local youths and not members of an organized group like Boko Haram.
Authorities claimed that while Boko Haram has previously launched attacks in Chad, including in the Lake Chad Basin area, no direct evidence links the group to Wednesday’s events.
The attack comes amidst heightened political and social tensions in Chad. Deby, who assumed power in 2021 after the battlefield death of his father, Idriss Deby Itno, has faced accusations of consolidating power unconstitutionally.
Parliamentary elections in December 2024, boycotted by opposition groups, were marred by allegations of fraud and low voter turnout. The government has also faced criticism for its decision to expel French troops as part of a broader strategy to distance itself from its former colonial power amid anti-France sentiment.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the identities and motives of the assailants behind the presidential palace attack. For now, Chad remains on high alert as its government seeks to reassure citizens and restore confidence in national security.
