Chad Claims it Foiled Attempted Coup

FRIDAY JANUARY 06 2023

Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, 37, son of the late Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno at a polling station in N'djamena on April 11, 2021. PHOTO | AFP

By PARTICK ILUNGA

Chad’s government has claimed it foiled “an attempt to destabilise the country’s institutions” and pointed the finger at some military members for it.

The N’Djamena government announced on Thursday that the attempt had been foiled by intelligence services, who also arrested several soldiers and an activist blamed for the incident said to have occurred on December 8.

But the statement on January 5 came weeks after the army denounced certain activities it claimed had been destabilising.

Aziz Mahamat-Saleh, the government spokesman, said that 11 army officers were involved in the attempted coup allegedly instigated by human rights defender Baradine Berdeï.

Mr Berdeï is one of the fiercest opponents of Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby, who became a civilian leader formally in August following dialogue between political movements. He will continue in this role for 24 months, according to the arrangement that says there will be elections afterwards.

The activist had been the main challenger of the late President Idriss Déby Itno, who was killed in April 2021 on the battlefront against rebels, days after he won his sixth term in elections by a landslide.