Increased security measures were implemented in N’Djamena, Chad’s capital, surrounding the headquarters of the opposition Socialist Party Without Borders (PSF) on Thursday, following gunfire incidents near the party’s HQ the day before. Soldiers were deployed to secure the PSF headquarters as tensions escalated.
The ruling junta accused the PSF of orchestrating a fatal attack on the internal security agency’s offices overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. Subsequently, automatic weapons fire erupted in the vicinity of the PSF headquarters, led by a prominent critic of Chad’s transitional president. Security measures extended to the presidential palace, with restricted access, and the closure of schools in central N’Djamena.
Since Wednesday, disruptions in the telephone network have been reported, and mobile internet access has been suspended, as per information from local media.
Yaya Dillo, the head of PSF and a relative of transitional president Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, vehemently denied any involvement in the security agency attack, labeling the accusation a “lie” and asserting its politically motivated nature. Dillo, speaking to AFP, emphasized his absence during the incident.
The unrest began with the arrest of a PSF member accused of plotting an “assassination attempt against the president of the supreme court,” according to a government statement aired on national television on Wednesday. Dillo condemned these allegations as “staged.”
Chad recently announced a presidential election scheduled for May 6, with both Deby Itno and Dillo intending to run. Deby Itno assumed the transitional presidency after his father’s death in 2021 and pledged to return power to civilians, initially planning elections within 18 months. However, the transition was later extended by an additional two years.