At least two people were killed after security forces went to arrest Chad’s opposition candidate Yaya Dillo at his home on Sunday morning, Dillo and the government said.
Dillo, who plans to run against President Idriss Deby in a presidential election in April, told Reuters he was attacked at home by members of the presidential guard and that five family members were killed, including his mother.
The government said in a statement that security forces went to Dillo’s home to arrest him after he opposed a judicial mandate and were met with armed resistance. Two people were killed and three wounded in the ensuing fight, it said.
Internet has been cut in the capital N’Djamena since early Sunday morning, said a Reuters witness.
Dillo said his house has been surrounded by government forces since the incident.
Dillo is a formal rebel leader who fought against Deby in 2006 before joining his government and becoming a minister. He is one of 16 people who have announced they will run against Deby in April’s election.
Deby, who has been in power since 1990, pushed through a new constitution in 2018 that would allow him to run for a sixth term. Hundreds took to the streets earlier this month to protest his candidacy in the upcoming election.
