February 29, 2024, 12:14 GMT
Updated 41 minutes ago
Image source: ISSOUF SANOGO
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Opposition politician Yaya Dillo has been a vocal opponent of his cousin, President Mahamat Déby
An opposition leader has been killed in a shootout with security forces in Chad, officials said.
Heavy gunfire was heard near his party's headquarters in the capital N'Djamena on Wednesday.
Mr Dillo is a vocal opponent of his cousin, President Mahamat Déby, who has been in power since 2021.
Mr Déby succeeded his father, who was killed by rebels after three decades in power.
The unrest in the Central African country follows the announcement that presidential elections will take place on May 6th.
The aim of these elections is to return the country to constitutional rule.
Communications Minister Abderaman Koulamallah told AFP that Mr Dillo died on Wednesday “where he had secluded himself, at his party's headquarters. He didn't want to surrender and shot at the police.”
On Wednesday, Mr. Dillo said the accusation that he was behind the attack on the headquarters of the National Security Agency (ANSE) was intended to “scare me so that I don't vote.”
One of Mr Dillo's colleagues, the general secretary of his Socialist Party Without Borders (PSF), told Portal news agency that PSF members were attacked by soldiers outside the ANSE building as they tried to recover the body of their colleague Ahmed Torabi.
The PSF official said Mr Torabi was arrested and shot dead on Tuesday before his body was dumped outside the ANSE building.
According to the government, Mr. Torabi had attempted to assassinate the President of the Supreme Court.
Relatives and party members who tried to get to his body were shot at on Wednesday morning, resulting in several deaths, the general secretary said.