Chadian Army Arrests Officers, Says “Macabre Project” Foiled
The Army High Command in Chad has said it has arrested a group of officers before they could enact a plot to overthrow the military government of General Mahamat Deby.
The high command of the Chadian armed forces has confirmed it has arrested a number of soldiers, and said “a macabre project” designed to “perturb the institutions of the Republic” has been foiled, after a week of fierce rumours a coup against the military government was underway.
The Army did not put a number on the group of military officers it detained, but it is believed that at least 12 soldiers have been arrested.
“The high command of the army denies all this information and brings to the attention of national and international opinion that a small group of officers of the Chadian national army manipulated by civilians were carrying out actions tending to perturb the institutions of the Republic”, the statement by the army high command issued on Dec 13 said.
For days, rumours have been circulating around N’djamena that a coup d’etat was in progress. Radio France International reported that the family of a dissident arrested on Dec 10 confirmed he had been interrogated about a coup.
The plot was linked to US trained officers of the Pan Sahel Initiative, a special anti terrorist unit, it was reported.
The statement revealed: “this group of men was being followed by the military intelligence services which have put an end to their macabre project by arresting them with a view to carrying out investigations”.
“To this end, the military high command reassures the population and invites them to normally continue carrying out their daily occupations and adds that military investigators are continuing their investigations with a view to neutralise the perturbators”, the statement concludes.
The military government of General Mahamat Deby Itno announced in October that it would extend the period of military rule by two years.
Demonstrations in the country turned violent and scores of people were killed.
Hundreds of people were arrested in the protests, many of whom were released this week.
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