Chad has announced the immediate closure of its border with Sudan following deadly clashes between Chadian troops and armed groups linked to Sudan’s ongoing civil war.
In a statement on Monday, February 23, Communications Minister Mahamat Gassim Cherif said the decision 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 explained, adding that the closure aims to prevent “any risk of the conflict spreading” into Chad.
Sudan has been embroiled in a violent conflict for nearly three years, with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces clashing with government troops. The fighting has killed tens of thousands and displaced approximately 11 million people, creating what the United Nations has called one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Chadian officials report that the violence along the border has increasingly spilled into their territory. At least nine Chadian soldiers have reportedly died in separate incidents since December as Sudanese paramilitary fighters operated close to the shared frontier.
Reaffirming its stance, 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.”
Authorities confirmed that “cross-border movements of goods and people are suspended” until further notice, though “exceptional exemptions” may be granted for humanitarian purposes.
The border closure marks a major escalation in tensions along the Chad-Sudan frontier, highlighting the challenges regional governments face as they deal with the spillover effects of Sudan’s protracted and destabilizing war.
