Opposition Supporters Shot in Chad

Police shot and wounded several opposition supporters Monday, hours after incumbent Idriss Deby was declared the winner of Chad’s presidential election.

Official results showed that Deby won 67% of last week’s vote, compared with about 14% for his nearest rival. He retains power amid the promise of an oil boom that could transform the desperately poor Central African country. Police immediately detained Deby’s six defeated rivals to warn them not to make trouble, opposition leaders said.

Opposition politicians in the large former French colony alleged widespread fraud, and they had gathered at the home of candidate Saleh Kabzabo to plan an anti-government protest when police arrived.

“The police fired some shots,” candidate Jean-Bawoyeu Alingue said. “There are seven people in the emergency ward, two of them seriously wounded.”

He said the six candidates were taken to police headquarters, where the interior minister told them that their protest was banned and asked them to call on their supporters to remain calm. They were then freed.