Death of leading adversary of Chad junta ‘assassination’: opposition

N’Djamena, Chad – AFP

The death of the leading adversary of Chad’s ruling junta in an army assault was an “assassination” by the presidential guard, his opposition party has alleged.

Yaya Dillo Djerou, who led the Socialist Party Without Borders (PSF), died ahead of a May election, in which he was set to face his cousin and transitional president Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno.

It followed high tension in the centre of the capital N’Djamena on Wednesday, when soldiers surrounded the party’s HQ, gunfire rang out and tear gas was fired.

He was “assassinated by the republican guard”, said party spokesman Evariste Gabnon.

Several opposition politicians also accused the presidential guard of “assassinating” Dillo — including Rakhis Ahmat, leader of the Party for the Democratic Renewal of Chad and Max Kemkoye, spokesman for the second opposition group, CGAP.

“He could have been arrested by any other means,” said Ahmat.

But “the fact that a whole army was used against unarmed civilians” during the assault on the PSF headquarters indicates that he was “assassinated”, Ahmat added.

The PSF leader, 49, had been accused of leading an attack against the offices of the internal security agency overnight on Tuesday to Wednesday. Dillo denied this to AFP a few hours before his death.

Later, internet access was cut in the capital and the army carried out an assault on the party’s main office, with automatic weapons fire heard.

It was a “despicable and unacceptable crime” added Max Loalngar, coordinator of Wakit Tama, the main opposition and civil society group.

The assault took place the day after Chad announced it would hold a presidential election on May 6, ending three years of junta rule when Deby Itno took power after his father was killed fighting rebels.