Gunfire Near Presidential Palace in Chad Sparks Confusion and Media Frenzy
TRANSCEND MEMBERS, 13 Jan 2025
Raïs Neza Boneza – TRANSCEND Media Service
10 Jan 2025 – A series of gunshots rang out near the Presidential Palace in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, on the evening of January 8. Initial reports from various sources put forward scenarios from an attempted coup to an attack by members of the terrorist group Boko Haram. Unsurprisingly, these contradictory narratives spread rapidly on the back of the highly connected media world.
Early Theories and Official Accounts
In the immediate hours after the incident, Chadian authorities indulged the theory of a terrorist attack. Political analysts would later speculate that this narrative was likely an intentional effort to mask the true nature of what had occurred. But the suspect was also not connected to a known terrorism group. In fact, officials later said, those involved were unarmed and had reached the palace via public transport, undermining a claim, made in the early days, of a shock-and-awe coordinated onslaught.
The Truth Behind the Chaos
The description of the violence, which erupted during a reunion of the men from the local tribes, was confirmed as details emerged. According to Chadian cultural folklore, staring at the president for more than 30 seconds is a sign of disrespect. This conviction allegedly helped fuel a clash in the center of N’Djamena. Things got heated, but police and palace security intervened and warning shots were fired. Regrettably, the confrontation ended in death, as 18 civilians and one police officer were claimed by the events. Independent sources indicate that the true number of dead and wounded may be less.
The International Media’s Role
The international media showed its influential role in perception shaping in the aftermath of the incident. Major French outlets, such as AFP and RFI, were quick to report the gunfire, speculating about the possibility of an attempted coup or terrorist activity. Their coverage intersected moments of geopolitics in motion: on that day, the departure of French military personnel from N’Djamena was observed, and the meeting of Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby with China’s foreign minister was held earlier that day and covered widely.
Critics argue the timing was not an accident. By repeating uncorroborated claims, some Western media outlets were accused of overstating the episode — characterizing a domestic tribal skirmish as a near-coup against the government. Such commentaries may have been attempts to achieve that end, analysts say, trying to incite tensions — or undermine the Chadian leadership — that fell short of escalating the situation beyond where it was.
Conclusion
The incident, which took place on 8 Jan 2025 in Chad, sheds light on the challenges of balancing political and cultural sensitivities in countries at risk of chaos. Though the skirmish itself was rooted in local grievances, its framing by foreign media revealed how stories can rapidly pop into larger geopolitical flare-ups. In the future, a more measured media response to such events could better serve the public and lead to the avoidance of unnecessary escalation.
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Raïs Neza Boneza is the author of fiction as well as non-fiction, poetry books and articles. He was born in the Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Former Zaïre). He is also an activist and peace practitioner. Raïs is convener of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment for Central and African Great Lakes and uses his work to promote artistic expressions as a means to deal with conflicts and maintaining mental wellbeing, spiritual growth and healing. He has travelled extensively in Africa and around the world as a lecturer, educator and consultant for various NGOs and institutions. His work is premised on art, healing, solidarity, peace, conflict transformation and human dignity issues. Raïs work also as freelance journalist based in Trondheim, Norway. You can reach him at rais.boneza@gmail.com. http://www.raisnezaboneza.no
Tags: Africa, Chad, Conflict, Journalism, Mainstream Media MSM, Media
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 13 Jan 2025.
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