According to state prosecutor Oumar Mahamat Kedelaye, Chadian opposition leader Yaya Dillo was fatally shot during a clash with security forces.
According to a witness, there was intense shooting on Wednesday in N’Djamena, the capital city. The shooting took place close to the headquarters of Dillo’s political opposition party. Prior to this, there were reports of fatalities from clashes near Chad’s internal security agency building.
Tensions escalated just before a scheduled presidential election in May and June in the central African country, potentially allowing for a return to constitutional rule after three years of military control. The increased violence added to the already tense atmosphere.
According to the witness, the city was peaceful on Thursday morning and people were going back to their jobs. However, internet service, which was halted the previous day, had not yet resumed.
The security forces blocked off the headquarters of the Socialist Party Without Borders, which is a opposition group led by Dillo, on Wednesday.
The government and the party provided different accounts of the incidents.
According to a government announcement, agents of the party launched an attack on the security agency, leading to multiple fatalities. In a separate event, the government reported that party member, Ahmed Torabi, had attempted to assassinate Supreme Court President Samir Adam Annour. Torabi has since been detained and arrested.
The general secretary of the opposition party informed Reuters that a group of party members were fired upon by soldiers near the security agency, resulting in fatalities. The general secretary also stated that Torabi was fatally shot on Tuesday and his body was left at the agency’s headquarters. On Wednesday morning, party members and Torabi’s family members went to retrieve his body from the agency, but were also shot at by soldiers, resulting in the deaths of multiple individuals.
In December, the supreme court authorized the ratification of a new constitution, which some opponents argue may solidify the authority of junta leader Mahamat Idriss Déby.
Several military regimes, including his, are governing in west and central Africa, resulting in eight coups since 2020. This is causing worry about a potential decline in democracy within the region.
Source: theguardian.com
