Opposition leader dies in army assault ahead of Chad’s presidential election

Yaya Dillo Djerou, a rival to the president of the Chad ruling junta, is killed in an army attack on his party offices

The political landscape of Chad was shaken on Wednesday, as Yaya Dillo Djerou, a prominent rival to the president of the reigning junta, was killed by an army attack on his party offices. Mammat Idriss Deby Itno, his cousin and the transitional president, was expected to face serious competition from Dillo, who headed the opposition Socialist Party Without Borders (PSF) ahead of the May election.

As troops surrounded the party’s offices on Wednesday, the incident took place amid heightened tensions in the center of the city, N’Djamena. Tear gas was being released as gunfire echoed across the streets. Three people from Dillo’s party who were referred to as “assailants” were also reported dead, according to government sources, while four troops were lost in the operation, according to Thursday’s official statement.

The attack occurred soon after Chad declared that it would hold a presidential election on May 6, marking the end of the country’s three years of junta control, which began with Deby Itno’s ascent to power after his father died fighting insurgents.

Dillo was being accused of planning an assault on the offices of the internal security agency. A military entry into the party’s main headquarters was announced by the sound of automatic rifle fire, and internet connectivity was thereafter cut off throughout the capital.

Regretfully, Dillo passed away in his party headquarters, where he had taken sanctuary during the assault. The minister of communications and the government spokesman, Abderaman Koulamallah, announced Dillo’s death on Thursday, blaming it on his reluctance to surrender and his reported use of firearms against police officials.

Security and democratic issues in Chad remain major concerns in the face of these advances. Initially, the goal of security forces was to capture a PSF member connected to a purported attempt on the life of the president of the Supreme Court leader. According to the government’s statement, anybody attempting to impede the current democratic transition will face legal action.

Dillo fiercely denied any role in the event in his farewell statement to the media, rejecting the claims as politically driven lies. He denounced as orchestrated the onslaught against the president of the Supreme Court and bemoaned the coordinated attempts to prevent him from running in the election.

For more than ten years, insurgencies have plagued Chad, a country in the unstable Sahel region that adds to the volatility of the area. The instability seen in nearby countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger highlights the wider security issues the Sahel faces.

Source: AFP