Sahel: Tension on Libya-Chad border mounts with killing of Chadian deserters

Posted On 5 March 2019

Number of times this article was read : 96

March 4, 2019 – Deserters from a Chadian rebel group based in Libya were ambushed at the border of the two countries leaving seven people dead, their group said Monday. The attack happened on Saturday at Sossal on the Chadian border where the deserters were supposed to meet and turn themselves over to Chad’s army as well as surrender their arms, the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development (UFDD) said in a statement. The UFDD rebel group said instead of the army they were met by the Toros-Boros, Sudanese rebels, “who opened fire.”

AFP was able to confirm the fighting with local people in the area, but it was not possible Monday to independently confirm the identity of the assailants. The Chadian government has not commented on the incident. Several Chadian rebel groups are based in the Sahel desert region of southern Libya. On Sunday, Chad closed its border with Libya until further notice.

In 2008, the UFDD, with other rebel groups, launched an offensive on the capital N’Djamena to seize power, but they were stopped at the presidential palace by the army with the support of ally and former colonial power France. In January, another rebel group, the UFR entered northeast Chad from Libya but were stopped by several French air strikes and the Chadian army. French jets intervened at the government’s request, France says. Chad, a vast and mostly desert country with more than 200 ethnic groups, has suffered repeated coups and crises since it gained independence from France in 1960.

Under President Idriss Deby, a former head of the armed forces, the country has taken a leading role in the fight against jihadism in the Sahel region.

By AFP

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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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