At least 20 people have died and 16 others were injured amid nearly a week of intercommunal violence in eastern Chad’s Ouaddai province, local and parliamentary sources reported Monday.
The unrest began last Tuesday when two armed youths from the Zaghawa community stole a motorcycle belonging to a member of the Ouaddai community.
This theft ignited a deadly armed confrontation, leaving eight dead, including the motorcycle thieves, a local source said.
The conflict escalated Saturday, when a violent attack by Zaghawa assailants killed at least 12 Ouaddai residents, deepening the region’s long-standing tensions.
Fourteen Ouaddai parliamentarians, mainly from the ruling party in N’Djamena, condemned the violence as “vile acts” and called for stronger government protection of local communities.
Government delegate Ismael Yamouda Djorbo, who visited the area, labeled the violence “terrorism,” without disclosing casualty details.
Lawmaker Yacine Abdraman Sakine denounced the “impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators” and criticized authorities for their silence amid the deadly clashes.
Eastern Chad, bordering Sudan, has suffered decades of inter-community conflict between indigenous Ouaddai farmers and Zaghawa herders or Arab tribes.
Similar deadly violence erupted in November 2018 near Abeche, the provincial capital, with a dozen lives lost.
This latest massacre follows the deaths of 42 people in Mandakao last month, caused by disputes between Fulani herders and Ngambaye farmers over land use.
The Chadian Human Rights Commission condemned Monday’s Ouaddai massacre, urging the government to take all necessary measures to halt the unrest.
As violence festers, the region’s fragile peace remains at risk, demanding urgent action to protect innocent lives and restore stability.