N’Djamena, Chad – Chad’s capital is still in pain Deadly gun battles Wednesday night erupted between security forces and more than a dozen armed fighters who brazenly stormed the presidential palace. At least 19 people were killed.

Businesses and schools opened as usual on Thursday, and most people went to work, but there was a heavy security presence on the streets of N’Djamena – a city already bustling with soldiers. Military tanks were deployed in the city center, and the roads leading to the palace complex were closed.

The attack comes after weeks of contentious controversy Parliamentary electionsas opposition parties boycotted the vote. They accused the military-turned-civilian government of President Mohamed Idriss Deby of trying to legitimize his rule.

The attack also came as a surprise to Chad eviction Hundreds of French troops in December. France, a former colonial power and close ally, has operated military bases in the country for decades.

Conflicting reports about the identity of Wednesday’s attackers are spreading on social media, adding to the confusion as government officials try to shed light on the threat. Here’s what we know:

What happened?

Speaking on Chadian state television, government spokesman and Foreign Minister Abderrahmane Kalamallah said a group of 24 heavily armed men attacked the president’s office at around 8:45 pm (19:45 GMT) on Wednesday.

He added that the men were armed with knives, not guns. At least 18 of the attackers were killed in the ensuing armed battle, while a member of the Chadian security forces also died. The minister added that three other security officials were injured, two of them in serious condition.

Videos of the aftermath of the shooting showed bloodied bodies on the ground near a white pickup truck. Kalam Allah said that the attackers were killed after they managed to penetrate the camp surrounding the presidency.

I was affected by the military deployment. We have a very good army, and Chadians can sleep peacefully. He said that our country is well guarded.

President Deby was in the presidential complex at the time of the attack. Hours earlier, Deby met at the Foreign Ministry with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was in the country on a state visit.

At least six people have been arrested in connection with the attack, although it is not yet clear who they are. The minister said that investigations are continuing.

Why is the country tense?

This landlocked Central African country has long experienced instability in the form of rebel movements, armed groups and coups. Although Chad is rich in oil, its stagnant economy and harsh climate place it on the list of the poorest countries in Africa.

Ulf Lessing, head of the Sahel program at the German think tank Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), told Al Jazeera that those who seize power often work hard to suppress rebellions by distributing jobs to former rebels and members of the political opposition. “Chad’s budget is spent on welfare to ensure the government’s survival,” he said.

Déby, a military general, seized power in April 2021 after rebels killed the powerful president — his father, Idriss Déby Itno — on the battlefield. Before his death, the elder Déby ruled Chad with an iron fist for 30 years.

Although the military government promised and delivered on elections, the younger Déby’s term was marked by turmoil. He has struggled to attract popular support in the country, where many believe he seized power unconstitutionally and only extended the Déby dynasty. Experts describe his government’s decision in December to expel French forces as a way to gain support in the center of the country Spread of anti-French sentiment In the former colonies of West and Central Africa.

Deby’s government is also accused of crackdowns: after youth and opposition parties took to the streets in October 2022 to protest the delay of promised elections, security forces cracked down on them, killing 128 people and arresting many.

In May 2024 Debbie They swept the presidential elections, His victory with more than 60 percent of the votes sparked the anger of opposition groups, which described the process as a fraud.

In December, the country held controversial parliamentary elections for the first time since 2015. Although government officials hailed the vote as a major step toward ending military rule, it was marked by low turnout and opposition allegations of fraud. Several political parties boycotted the vote.

Who attacked and what do the authorities say?

There are many conflicting theories about who may be responsible for Wednesday’s attack. Some blamed the armed group Boko Haram, while others said it could be a military coup.

Boko Haram fighters have been launching incursions into the country since 2013, operating from their base in the Lake Chad Basin, which Chad shares with Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon.

Although the group was originally founded in Nigeria, the porous borders allowed it to expand its operations. In 2015, Boko Haram suicide bombers targeted police buildings and markets in N’Djamena in a series of attacks. More than 50 people were killed, and more than 100 others were injured.

Security sources told Agence France-Presse and Reuters news agency that Wednesday’s attack was likely carried out by the group.

“It would not be far-fetched for Boko Haram to try to do this, even though this represents a major security lapse in the palace,” Beverly Ochieng, a Senegal-based security analyst at Control Risks, an intelligence firm, told Al Jazeera.

“They may want to take revenge for Operation Haskannit,” she added, referring to the security operation that President Deby personally launched in October. The goal is to track down and neutralize hundreds of Boko Haram fighters who attacked and killed more than 40 Chadian soldiers in the Lake Chad Basin region on October 28.

However, government officials downplayed the Boko Haram theory. In an interview with Chadian state radio hours after the attack, spokesman Klamallah said the attackers were “most likely not” members of Boko Haram or part of an organized armed group. He described them instead as “pieds nickeles” – a reference to a French comedy depicting hapless rogues.

But any random pair of impostors would find it difficult to attack the seat of power in N’Djamena. On any given day, the city is filled with soldiers wearing camouflage, carrying weapons and hanging from military trucks.

Could it be other armed groups?

Several other armed groups threaten the stability of Chad, most notably rebel fighters from the Front for Change and Accord in Chad. (fact)It is located near the Libyan border.

The group, led by long-time rebel Mohamed Mehdi Ali, aims to overthrow the Chadian government led by Deby.

The late President Déby succumbed to his wounds Suffered during a battle against rebels as they advanced towards N’Djamena in 2021.

At that time, FACT pledged to launch another strike after Déby Jr. took power. “Chad is not a monarchy,” the group said in a statement posted online. “There can be no transfer of power between the ruling families of our country,” the statement added, with FACT threatening to remove the new leader.

On the other hand, Ochieng said, reports of a coup could also be credible.

She added that Wednesday’s attacks may be an “internal act” with the aim of “assassinating President Deby” and seizing power.

Coups are not uncommon in Chad. The late Déby seized power by overthrowing dictator Hissène Habré.

In 2008, thousands of fighters from the rebel group Union of Forces for Democracy and Development, led by leader Mohamed Nouri, attacked N’Djamena to oust Déby, but were repulsed.

Did the departure of French forces create a vacuum?

Analysts say Chad is likely to face more attacks like this one. Armed groups may try to exploit the security vacuum that may occur as French forces continue to leave the country.

Although Chad signed an agreement with Hungary in October and is expected to welcome 200 Hungarian soldiers to support and train local forces, it is not clear when the Hungarians will arrive.

Lessing said Chad was in a “fragile” state. He added: “Deby asking the French to leave in December was a gamble. “It gave him a boost in popularity.” “But it is clear that the French army was the main protection that the regime had, not only through the presence of its troops, but also through the exchange of intelligence.”

Former French colony It hosted the last French military bases In the Sahel region, but at the end of November, it ended the defense and security agreements with Paris, describing them as “outdated.” About 1,000 French soldiers are stationed in the country and are in the process of withdrawal after France’s dispute with three other coastal countries ruled by military governments hostile to Paris: Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

The fact that Chad is downplaying the significance of the Boko Haram attack may mean that some officials may want to blame an outside party for sabotaging their efforts, Ochieng said.

“I think there will be opportunistic groups that will try to make it look like France is ruining Chad,” she said. “We saw similar demands in Niger and Burkina Faso, immediately after their coups and their demands for French forces to leave.”