At least 42 individuals have lost their lives in clashes between two communities in eastern Chad, as confirmed by the public security ministry.
The desert region, situated within the expansive Sahel country, is frequently afflicted by land disputes.
While the ministry did not specify the parties involved in the conflict or its duration, the area routinely witnesses confrontations between settled farmers and nomadic herders, as well as other groups, over land ownership.
According to a statement issued by the public security ministry, the clashes resulted in the arrest of 175 individuals at the site.
Additionally, armed individuals set ablaze “a significant portion” of the village of Tileguey in Ouaddai province.
“The situation is under control but I’m trying to reconcile the different parties,” Public Security Minister General Mahamat Charfadine Margui informed AFP in a telephone statement.
Accompanied by a delegation of government and army members, the minister visited the site of the clashes with the aim of fully investigating the incident.
In eastern and southern Chad, where many residents are armed, conflicts frequently arise as farmers accuse herders of allowing their animals to graze on their land or trample on crops.