CHAD DECLARES 3 DAYS OF MOURNING AFTER KILLING OF DOZENS OF SOLDIERS

Tue 29 October 2024:

The Chadian government declared three days of national mourning Monday following the killing of dozens of soldiers in Lac province.

In a decree, the government said that from Tuesday midnight to Friday, flags will be flown at half-mast and all festive activities will be prohibited throughout the country.

Only religious music and prayers will be allowed in the media and places of worship, it said.

A deadly attack on a military base in Lac province left at least 40 soldiers dead, according to the president’s office.

Sunday’s attack by unidentified assailants targeted a Defense and Security Forces base in Barkaram, an island in Chad’s Lake region.

President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno vowed to hunt down the assailants, who he said plunged many families into mourning.

“Wherever they go, one by one…they will see in a few days the lightning of the Chadian National Army,” Deby said.

Chad faces persistent insurgency challenges from several armed groups rooted in ethnic, political, and regional grievances. These groups often seek to overthrow the government or gain autonomy and are frequently based along Chad’s porous borders with Libya, Sudan, and the Central African Republic.

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A prominent insurgency, the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), gained international attention in 2021 after a major offensive led to the death of then-President Idriss Déby. FACT is based in southern Libya and draws support from the Tibesti region, opposing Déby’s son, Mahamat Idriss Déby, who now leads Chad.

Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa factions also operate in Chad, particularly near Lake Chad. These groups conduct cross-border attacks, targeting civilians and security forces, and destabilize communities while disrupting daily life.

The group’s insurgency is fueled by ideological motives and thrives on the region’s socio-economic fragility, especially among marginalized youth.

Another threat stems from ethnic militias and local rebels who resist central government control, accusing it of favoritism toward specific tribes and economic exclusion.

With the Chadian government’s limited capacity to secure vast, remote areas, these insurgencies continue to pose significant risks, demanding both military and diplomatic strategies to bring lasting stability.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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