Yaya Dillo, President of the Socialist Party Without Borders (PSF), the main opposition party in Chad, was confirmed dead last Thursday by the Chadian public prosecutor at the High Court of N’Djamena as reported by local news outlet Al Wihda. His death happening amidst the social unrest related to the country’s forthcoming presidential elections has added even more tension to the already politically charged environment.
Dillo was killed following an assault on PSF headquarters last Wednesday which led to the subsequent arrest of 26 people, though at this point, the reason behind the assault still remains unclear. Prior to this attack, the PSF in alliance with URT-Tchad had released a statement claiming both groups were subjected to destabilization efforts, and had called on the government to put an end to these harassments.
Earlier in the week, Chad’s military government, which has been in control since 2021, announced that there will be presidential elections on May 6. Under the leadership of General Mahmat Idriss Déby as transitional president, following the death of his father, former president Idriss Déby Itno, the government has faced condemnation for brutal crackdowns on pro-democracy protests, in addition to reported acts such as ill-treatment and torture of detainees.