Gunshots were heard on Wednesday evening near the presidency in the capital of , N’Djamena.
Convoys of military vehicles were seen driving toward the presidency too, the news agency Reuters reported.
According to the AFP news agency, a security source said armed men had attacked the interior of the presidential compound while all roads leading to the presidency have been blocked, adding that tanks could be seen on the streets of N’Djamena.
Infrastructure Minister says ‘situation is under control’
Shortly after the initial reports of gunfire, Chad’s Infrastructure Minister Aziz Mahamat Saleh said the situation was being dealt with.
“Nothing serious, no panic, the situation is under control,” he posted on Facebook without giving further details.
Contested elections amid opposition cries of foul play
Wednesday’s gunshots come less than two weeks after held .
Chad’s government hailed the elections a key step towards ending military rule, but it was marked by low turnout and accusations of fraud from the country’s opposition, which boycotted the polls leaving the field open to candidates aligned with .
The military first steered Itno into power in 2021 after his father’s death.
The elder Idriss Deby Itno had ruled the Sahel country with an iron fist for three decades until his death in April 2021.
The December vote was held amid the backdrop of recurring attacks by the jihadist group Boko Haram, the ending of a military accord with former colonial master France, and accusations that Chad was interfering in the conflict ravaging neighboring Sudan.
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jsi/ab (AFP, Reuters)
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