Gun attack on Chad presidential palace - authorities downplay wetin happun

Di goment of Chad dey insist say di situation for capitol N'Djamena dey stable afta gunshots blast near di presidential palace.

On Wednesday, 8 January, kasala bin burst afta one group of armed men attempt to attack di presidential complex.

Convoys of military vehicle bin drive towards di presidency and continuous gunfire blast around di presidential palace of di Central African kontri.

Sources wey dey close to goment tok say na kasala burst between di security forces and "terrorists elements".

Chadian Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah tok say "na attempt to destabilize di kontri, but dem don neutralise am and evri tin dey under control.

For one video wey appear like say dem record am within di palace complex, Oga Koulamallah say na "small kasala happun" but "evritin don dey calm".

Di French news agency AFP quote Koulamallah wey tok say 18 attackers and one member of di security forces die sake of di attack.

'We don scata all attempts at destabilization'

Chad na one landlocked kontri for di Northern-central Africa wey since dem gain independence from France for 1960, don see frequent periods of instability and fighting, di most recent one na between government forces and those of Islamist group Boko Haram.

Di leader of di kontri na President Mahamat Déby, wey di military install for 2021 afta im father, Idriss Déby, die for one battle wit rebel forces afta 30 years in power.

Following di incident on Wednesday, dem don block all di roads wey lead to di presidency and mount tanks for di streets of di capital, AFP tok.

For di video wey dey Facebook, e show as members of di goment forces surround Koulamallah.

"Nothing serious don happun," e tok.

"We dey here and we go defend our kontri wit di price of our blood. Be calm.

"We don scata di whole attempt at destabilisations."

Di video show as e take photos and raise im fist wit di sojas.

AFP quote Koulamallah as e tok say na one 24-man commando unit, launch di attack, and add say six of the attackers bin suffer injuries.

Anoda three members of di government forces also suffer injuries, e add.

Di incident dey come just hours one former China Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, visit di French territory and meet wit Déby plus oda senior officials.

Late last month, Chad bin hold one set of parliamentary elections wey di goment hype as di first step inside transition from military to civilian rule.

Opposition groups, however, don advise dia supporters to boycott di vote on top concerns about voter fraud.

Chad bifor now bin host French military base, wey France dey use provide logistical and intelligence support to Chad army and to take part for regional counter-terrorism operations.

For November, Chad end dia defence cooperation agreement wit France, one move wey Koulamallah say go allow Chad "assert its full sovereignty".

Chad also na part of one region wey stretch across Africa and don become known as di Coup Belt afta one succession of military coups since 2020, including for Mali, Niger, and Sudan.