Yaya Dillo, a leading critic of Chadian president Mahamat Déby, was killed in a shootout with security forces on Wednesday, February 28th. Dillo, a cousin of the president and leader of the Socialist Party Without Borders (PSF), was accused by the government of being behind an attack on the National Security Agency (ANSE) headquarters. He denied the accusation.
Following the reported attack on the ANSE, heavy gunfire erupted near Dillo's party headquarters in the capital, N'Djamena. According to authorities, Dillo died in a shootout after refusing to surrender. The government claims 12 others were killed in the encounter.
Dillo's death has raised concerns about the upcoming presidential election, scheduled for May 6th, 2024. He was widely expected to be President Déby's main challenger.
The PSF has denied the government's account of events, claiming their leader and members were attacked first. They further allege that the death of another party member, Ahmed Torabi, who was previously arrested and found dead outside the ANSE building, was an assassination attempt.
This is not the first time Dillo has faced violence from security forces. In 2021, while running against President Déby's father, Idriss Déby, the PSF claims state forces killed Dillo's mother, son, and three others during an attempted arrest.