Fourteen protesters have been killed amid ethnic tensions in eastern Chad, a government official said Friday, while rights groups said some had died in clashes with the security forces. Residents of Abeche, the capital of Ouaddai province, protested on Monday against plans to inaugurate an elected member of the Arab community at locations traditionally reserved for a local chief. Rights groups said security forces killed some during that demonstration, while the others lost their lives the following day at the funerals. A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there were “14 dead and 64 wounded among the demonstrators,” but refused to say who was responsible for the casualties. “The situation has been calm since yesterday and the tension has dropped,” the official said. A medical source put the toll at 11 dead and 60 wounded.