The Chadian government downplays the shooting in the capital

The Chadian government insisted that the situation in the capital, N’Djamena, was stable after gunfire was heard near the presidential palace.

Foreign Minister Abdul Rahman Kalamallah said in a video apparently recorded inside the palace complex that there had been a “small incident” but “all is calm.”

Sources close to the African country’s government said that clashes took place between security forces and “terrorist elements.”

Agence France-Presse quoted Kalam Allah as saying that 18 attackers and a member of the security forces were killed.

Chad is a landlocked country located in north-central Africa, and since its independence from France in 1960, it has witnessed repeated periods of instability and fighting, most recently between government forces and the forces of the Islamist group Boko Haram.

It is led by President Mohamed Déby, who was installed by the military in 2021 after his father, Idriss Déby, was killed in battle with rebel forces after 30 years in power.

Agence France-Presse said that after the incident that occurred on Wednesday, tanks were seen in the area and all roads leading to the palace were closed.

In the video posted on Facebook, Kalam Allah appears surrounded by members of government forces.

“Nothing serious happened,” he says.

“We are here and we will defend our country with our blood. Be calm.

“This entire attempt at destabilization has been thwarted.”

He was then seen taking pictures and raising his fist with the soldiers.

Agence France-Presse quoted Kalam Allah as saying that a commando unit consisting of 24 men launched the attack, adding that six of the attackers were wounded.

He added that three other members of the government forces were also injured.

The incident came just hours after a visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to the former French territory, where he met with Deby and other senior officials.

Late last month, Chad held a set of parliamentary elections that the government described as a first step in the transition from military to civilian rule.

But opposition groups urged their supporters to boycott the vote over concerns about voter fraud.

Chad previously hosted a French military base, which France used to provide logistical and intelligence support to the Chadian army as well as participate in regional counter-terrorism operations.

In November, that It terminated the defense cooperation agreement With France, a move that Kalam Allah said would allow Chad to “assert its full sovereignty.”

Chad is also part of a region stretching across Africa that has become known as the coup belt after a series of military coups since 2020, including in Mali, Niger and Sudan.