Chad, 2008 — rebel coup attempt

Event Summary

On 2 February 2008 a coalition of Chadian rebel groups launched a massive assault on the capital N'Djamena in the most serious attempt yet to overthrow President Idriss Deby, storming deep into the city and battling to within reach of the presidential palace before being repelled. Around 2,000 fighters from three rebel movements, the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development, its Fundamental splinter, and the Rally of Democratic Forces, many of them former Deby allies backed by Sudan, advanced across the country in a three day drive. They clashed with government troops at Massaguet, where Deby personally led the defense and his army chief of staff Daoud Soumain was killed, then entered N'Djamena on the morning of 2 February and fought pitched street battles for control of the city.

The rebels took much of the capital and assaulted the heavily defended palace but could not capture it; after two days, running short of ammunition and fractured by the defection of one commander, they withdrew. France sent troops to shore up the government. Deby survived, dismissed the rebels as Sudanese directed mercenaries, and, gesturing at reports he had been wounded, declared, look at me, I'm fine.