Chad has announced the immediate closure of its border with Sudan following a series of deadly confrontations between Chadian soldiers and armed groups linked to Sudan’s ongoing civil war.
In a statement issued on Monday, February 23, Communications Minister Mahamat Gassim Cherif said the move was prompted by repeated cross-border incidents.
“This decision follows repeated incursions and violations committed by the forces involved in the conflict in Sudan on Chadian territory,” he said, adding that the closure is aimed at preventing “any risk of the conflict spreading” into Chad.Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal conflict for nearly three years, with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF)battling Sudanese government troops. The war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced about 11 million people, creating what the United Nations describes as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Chadian authorities say the violence has increasingly spilled across the frontier. Reports indicate that at least nine Chadian soldiers have been killed in separate incidents since December, as Sudanese paramilitary fighters carried out operations near the shared border.Reaffirming its position, the Chadian government warned that it “reserves the right to retaliate against any aggression or violation of the inviolability of its territory and its borders.”
It also confirmed that all cross-border movements of goods and people have been suspended until further notice. However, authorities noted that “exceptional exemptions” may be granted for humanitarian purposes.
The border closure signals heightened tensions along the Chad-Sudan frontier, as regional governments continue to grapple with the destabilising impact of Sudan’s prolonged conflict.
