Chad - The African Mirror

Dec

2023

Chad declares four Sudanese diplomats persona non grata- government statement

THE Chad government said it had declared four Sudanese diplomats persona non grata and ordered them to leave within 72 hours following what it called "grave statements" by Sudanese officials accusing it of interfering in the conflict in Sudan. The diplomats are the first counsellor of the embassy, the defence attache and two consuls. The decision came after "grave statements that lack any basis," made by top Sudanese officer, General Yassir al-Atta, and repeated by Sudan's foreign minister on local television, the statement, signed by Chad's government spokesman, said. "The recurrence of such statements by Sudanese authorities with regards to Chad…

Jun

2023

By EMMA FARGE

Over 1 million may flee Sudan conflict, UN refugee agency says

NEWS

THE U.N. refugee agency warned that an earlier projection that conflict in Sudan would prompt 1 million people to flee across its borders is likely to be surpassed. So far, the conflict between warring military factions that began in mid-April has caused nearly 600,000 people to escape into neighbouring countries including Egypt, Chad, South Sudan and Central African Republic. "Unfortunately, looking at the trends, looking at the situation in Darfur, we're likely to go beyond 1 million," Raouf Mazou, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, said in response to a question about its estimate in April for the coming six…

May

2023

By The African Mirror

Sudan’s conflict will have a ripple effect in an unstable region – and across the world

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

SUDAN, Africa’s third largest country by land mass, shares borders with seven countries in an unstable region. This means that Sudan’s current conflict will have economic, social and political ripple effects across a number of countries, including the Central African Republic, Egypt, Libya, Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Author JOHN MUKUM MBAKU, Professor, Weber State University The conflict might also affect countries further afield, including the US, Russia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, which have close economic ties with Sudan. It could destabilise the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa and jeopardise US interests in…

Apr

2023

By The African Mirror

Chad orders German ambassador to leave the country

NEWS

CHAD'S government ordered the German ambassador to leave the country within 48 hours, it said in a statement, a decision source said was motivated by his comments about Chad's delayed transition to civilian rule after a 2021 coup. "This decision of the government is motivated by the discourteous attitude and the non-respect of diplomatic customs," the country's Communication Ministry said on Twitter late on Friday. Two Chadian government sources said on Saturday that Ambassador Gordon Kricke had criticised delays in holding elections after the coup, and a ruling last year that will allow interim military leader Mahamat Idriss Deby to…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Chad sentences 441 rebels to life in prison over ex-president Deby’s death

NEWS

A court in Chad sentenced more than 400 rebels to life in prison over the death of former president Idriss Deby, who was killed on the frontline of a battle against their group in 2021, their lawyer said. The trial of 465 members of the Libyan-based Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) rebel group started on February 13 in the capital N'Djamena. The criminal chamber of N'Djamena's court of appeal on Tuesday found 441 defendants guilty of acts of terrorism, undermining national security and endangering the life of the head of state among other charges. FACT leader Mahamat…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Lahore is most polluted city, Chad worst among countries – survey

NEWS

LAHORE in Pakistan jumped more than 10 places to become the city with the worst air in the world in 2022, according to an annual global survey by a Swiss maker of air purifiers. The report published on Tuesday by IQAir also said that Chad in central Africa had replaced Bangladesh as the country with the most polluted air last year. IQAir measures air quality levels based on the concentration of lung-damaging airborne particles known as PM2.5. Its annual survey is widely cited by researchers and government organisations. Lahore's air quality worsened to 97.4 micrograms of PM2.5 particles per cubic…

Jan

2023

By The African Mirror

20 die in bus/truck crash in Chad

NEWS

TWENTY people were killed night when a passenger bus in Chad crashed into a truck that was broken down on the roadway, the government said. The bus had 31 people on board and was on its way from the capital N'Djamena to the eastern city of Abeche. It crashed near the town of Oum-Hadjer, the government said. "According to the first elements of the investigation, the causes identified are the non-respect of road safety rules... excessive speed, overloading, fatigue and carelessness of the driver," it said in a statement. It followed two bad accidents involving passenger buses this month in Senegal,…

Oct

2022

By The African Mirror

Relatives identify victims of Chad’s bloody protests

NEWS

MAHAMAT RAMADANE TIMOTHE Sidjim left the morgue with reddened eyes and a haggard look. He had just identified the body of his 22-year-old son, Allasem, one of at least 50 people killed in the violence that erupted as people protested against Chad's government. Hundreds took to the streets of the capital N'Djamena and other cities to demand a quicker transition to democratic rule just weeks after a military junta announced it was extending its time in power by two years. Police reacted by firing live rounds on protestors, rights groups, including Amnesty International, said. Around 300 people were wounded, the government said.…

Oct

2022

By The African Mirror

Hundreds flee massive flooding in Chad capital

NEWS

HUNDREDS of inhabitants of Chad's capital N'Djamena have fled their homes due to massive flooding that has hit since Thursday, leaving parts of the city navigable only by boat. "I drove the children to school this morning and on my return our house was completely flooded with river water. I don't know what to do or where to put my family," said Thomas Ngueadoum, 31. Some flood victims have left their homes on foot, carrying belongings on their heads. In one area women have built an emergency camp out of thin wooden branches and cloth to provide shelter for their…

Sep

2022

By The African Mirror

Mobile school offers hope to nomad children in Chad

EDUCATION

MAHAMAT RAMADANE IN a makeshift open-air classroom, dozens of children sat squeezed together on a mat and watched as their teacher chalked simple sums on a blackboard - a rare chance of education for their nomadic community in Chad. Around 7% of the central African nation's population of about 16 million are nomads, who move hundreds of kilometres from the south with their herds every year when seasonal rains turn the semi-arid central regions green with fresh pasture. This way of life is centuries-old but incompatible with Chad's formal education system. According to the Copenhagen-based International Work Group for Indigenous…