Heavy gunfire has been heard in Chad‘s capital N’Djamena following a deadly attack on the headquarters of the National Security Agency (ANSE).
Several people were killed in Wednesday’s attack, the government said – blaming the opposition Socialist Party Without Borders (PSF).
Its leader, Yaya Dillo, told the AFP news agency the allegation was a “lie”.
The unrest comes a day after the announcement that Chad will hold presidential elections on 6 May.
N’Djamena residents reported hearing intense gunfire near the PSF’s main office on Wednesday and said they had seen several military vehicles heading there.
One witness told Reuters that the PSF buildings had been cordoned off.
Communication Minister Abderaman Koulamallah said the earlier attack on the ANSE buildings was led by Mr Dillo, who denied he was there – telling AFP the accusation was intended “to make me afraid so that I don’t go to the election”.
One of Mr Dillo’s colleagues, the PSF’s general secretary, told Reuters that contrary to the government’s claim that its members had attacked the ANSE building, they had been the ones to come under attack from soldiers while trying to retrieve the body of their colleague Ahmed Torabi.
The PSF official said Mr Torabi was arrested and shot dead on Tuesday, before his body was dumped outside the ANSE buildings.
According to the government, Mr Torabi had attempted to assassinate the president of the Supreme Court.
Relatives and party members who tried to get to his body were shot at on Wednesday morning, resulting in multiple fatalities, the general secretary said.
Mr Dillo also denied any links to the assassination attempt, which he described as “staged”, according to AFP.
The government said PSF members had been arrested or were being sought over the attack on the ANSE headquarters and would be prosecuted.
Source – BBC AFRICA
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