Chad’s government on Monday (today) announced the immediate closure of its border with Sudan, citing repeated clashes between Chadian soldiers and armed groups engaged in the ongoing civil war across the frontier.
Naija News reports that the decision was conveyed in a statement by Communications Minister, Mahamat Gassim Cherif, who said the move was necessary to safeguard Chad’s territorial integrity and prevent the spillover of violence.
“This decision follows repeated incursions and violations committed by the forces involved in the conflict in Sudan on Chadian territory,” Cherif said.
He added that the government was determined to halt “any risk of the conflict spreading” into Chad.
The minister’s remarks come amid rising tensions along the Chad-Sudan border, where armed confrontations have reportedly escalated in recent months.
Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal conflict between government troops and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces for nearly three years.
The fighting has claimed tens of thousands of lives and forced about 11 million people from their homes, triggering what the United Nations describes as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The paramilitary group has conducted several operations near the Chad border, heightening fears of regional instability.
At least nine Chadian soldiers have been killed in separate incidents since December, according to authorities.
In Monday’s statement, the government declared that Chad “reserves the right to retaliate against any aggression or violation of the inviolability of its territory and its borders.”
It further announced that “cross-border movements of goods and people are suspended” until further notice.
However, the authorities noted that “exceptional exemptions” would be granted for humanitarian reasons. The border closure underscores growing concerns that Sudan’s protracted conflict could further destabilise neighbouring countries in the region.
