Around 30 people died in clashes between police and protesters in Chad on Thursday, the government said, as opponents of ruling general Mahamat Idriss Déby marked the day when he had initially promised to cede power.
"A banned demonstration became an insurrection," spokesman Aziz Mahamat Saleh told AFP, saying that demonstrators in the capital N'Djamena had attacked public buildings.
"There were about 30 deaths, including about ten among the security forces, and several injured," he said.
Despite orders to stay away, hundreds of demonstrators had turned out to mark the date when the military junta that took power 18 months ago had originally promised to hand over power – a spell that has now been extended for another two years.
An AFP reporter saw five bodies on the floor of the city's Union Chagoua Hospital, two of which were covered with the Chadian national flag and three with bloodied white sheets.
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In clashes between police and protesters on Thursday in the Chadian capital N'Djamena, five persons "died from bullet wounds," according to Joseph Ampil, the hospital's chief physician. #Protest pic.twitter.com/NmKke7JL0F
The head doctor, Joseph Ampil, later confirmed to AFP that five individuals had "died from gunshots" during the clashes.
Palls of black smoke could be seen in some parts of the city and the crack of teargas grenades could be heard.
Barricades were set up in several districts and tyres were set alight in the main avenues to block traffic.
The headquarters of Prime Minister Saleh Kebzabo's UNDR party was also attacked by demonstrators "and partially burned down", UNDR Vice President Celestin Topona told AFP.
Violence in second city
Clashes were also reported in Chad's second-biggest city, Moundou, where one activist told RFI that soldiers had fired on protesters.
"Lots of people were wounded by bullets," he said.
France, which ruled Chad as a colony until 1960, condemned the violence, which "notably [featured] the use of lethal weapons against demonstrators".
"France is not playing any part in these events, which are lie strictly in Chad's domestic political domain," the foreign ministry said.
"False information about France's purported involvement is baseless."
Mahamat Déby, the son of long-time president Idriss Déby, took power in April 2021 after his father was killed in an operation against rebels.
While he and his junta of 15 generals promised to hold democratic elections after 18 months – which would have fallen on 20 October 2022 – earlier this month they announced that a vote would not be held for another two years.
In the meantime, Déby was sworn in as "transitional president". He has promised to form an unelected government of national unity.
(With AFP)
