Chadian media have issued conflicting reports on the cause of an alleged shooting incident at the presidential palace in N’Djamena.
According to Toubou Media, the shooting resulted from an alleged dispute within the Déby family over the appointment of Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno to succeed his father.
The Media cited security sources who purported that Mahamat was injured in a shootout sparked by a “divergence within the family”.
However, a series of tweets from the private Tchadinfos website quoted several unnamed sources as denying the alleged shooting incident.
“The president of the Transitional Military Council is alive and well. There was never any shooting at the palace and no quarrels with [Mahamat’s] brother Zakaria,” Tchadifos said.
Meanwhile, pro-government Alwihda Info website reported that gunfire was heard in Ati, some 378km (234miles) east of N’Djamena, after prisoners tried to escape. The website added that “calm had been restored” after the deployment of more troops to the region.
The late Déby had a large family, with an unknown number of wives and children.
