Sahel: Massacre in Chad

Posted On 26 March 2020

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N’Djamena, March 24, 2020 – Ninety-two Chadian soldiers have been killed in the deadliest attack ever by Bok o Haram jihadists on armed forces in the country, President Idriss Deby Itno said Tuesday. The attack is part of an expanding jihadist campaign in the vast, marshy Lake Chad area, where the borders of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria converge.  Boko Haram launched an insurgency in Nigeria in 2009 before beginning incursions in its neighbouring countries to the east. “We lost 92 of our soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers,” in the attack overnight Sunday in Boma, the president said. “It’s the first time we have lost so many men,” he added, after visiting the site of the attack in the Lac province, which borders Niger and Nigeria.

The attack on soldiers on the Boma peninsula lasted at least seven hours, and reinforcements sent to help out were also targeted, one soldier told AFP. He said 24 army vehicles were destroyed, including armoured vehicles, and captured military arms were carried off in speedboats by Boko Haram. “The enemy has hit at our defences hard in this zone,” a senior officer said.

Boko Haram has stepped up its attacks in recent months on the islands of the Lake Chad basin. Boko Haram’s insurgency has killed 36,000 people and displaced nearly two million in northeastern Nigeria since it began, according to the UN. Since 2015, countries in the region have cooperated in the Multinational Joint Force, a regional coalition engaged around Lake Chad with the help of local residents formed into vigilante groups.

By AFP
Other Articles in this Week's Issue<< Sahel: More insurgent attacks across the SahelLibya now fighting two wars: a civil war and Covid-19 >>
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Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.

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