Since then numerous reports have come out concerning the event, including the scores of the attack and speculations as to why the attack was orchestrated in the first place.
The attack which happened on Wednesday night saw the deaths of 18 of the attackers and the arrest of the other 6.
The president of the country, Mahamat Déby, was reportedly inside the palace when the attack occurred, but was completely unscathed.
Chadian authourities indicated that the attackers who were more likely local youths from the capital, N’Djamena, than an organized terrorist group, seemed disorganized and intoxicated.
However, they unfortunately killed two of the president’s guards and lightly wounded five.
Following the attack, Takilal Ndolassem Hilaire, national advisor and the president of the Front for the Liberation of Chad party, relayed to Sputnik that France’s opposition to Chad’s independence led to the January 8 attack on the presidential palace in N’Djamena.
The attack came at a tense moment for Chad, which recently terminated a defense cooperation agreement with long-time military partner France.
Hilaire emphasized that France was hesitant to completely unhand its interest in the country seeing as it is a useful “free aircraft carrier,” in his words.
He implied that France’s assertion of the attack as a coup d’état, was not an accident.
The French news agency, AFP had reported that the attack is believed to have been orchestrated by members of the notorious Boko Haram terrorist group, despite the fact that the group had not claimed the attack.
The news agency cited unnamed local security sources.
In contrast, Chadian authorities seemed to be at ease with the situation, reporting immediately after the attack that everything was under control, and as mentioned earlier, the work of drunkards as opposed to a terrorist group.
Hilaire went on to highlight the West’s frequent exaggeration of events to show its significance and power, giving the idea that issues cannot be resolved without their help.
“Today, everyone knows that the financing of terrorism comes from the West, since there are military leaders who have been arrested. And during their interrogation, they all said that they were financed by the West,” he stated.
Chad’s fall out with France
Much like a few other West African countries, including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, Chad has opted to rid itself of as much Western influence as possible.
As a result, it recently terminated a military agreement with France.
Prior to that, France initiated the process to remove its military presence from Chad, beginning with the withdrawal of two airplanes stationed in the capital, N’Djamena.
