Explosions at a Military Ammunition Depot in Chad’s Capital Kill 9

Nine people have been killed after a fire set off explosions at a military ammunition depot in Chad’s capital.
Government spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah confirmed the news on Wednesday adding that 46 people were being treated for various injuries after the explosions jolted residents from their sleep late Tuesday in the Goudji district of the capital, N’Djamena.
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear, and President Mahamat Deby Itno said an investigation would be conducted.
People living in the area panicked, thinking the explosion was an armed attack, resident Oumar Mahamat said.
Local media reported the blasts started just before midnight as nearby buildings shook and ammunition was thrown from the depot with explosive force.
Authorities called on residents to stay out of the area, which was taken over by security forces gathering the scattered artillery shells.
Chad, a country of nearly 18 million people, has been reeling from political turmoil before and after a controversial presidential election that resulted in Deby Itno’s victory. He had led the country as interim president during the period of military rule that followed the death of his father in 2021.
Cameron Hudson, an Africa expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the explosions might not be entirely coincidental and “feels more like a message” to the government, which has been embroiled in internal political tensions and as well as regional tensions over the war in neighbouring Sudan.
Recent claims about Chad’s alleged involvement in the war in Sudan create an untenable position at home for Deby Itno, said Hudson, a former U.S. official. “A house divided cannot stand.”