The government of Chad has announced the immediate closure of its border with Sudan until further notice, following a series of deadly confrontations between Chadian troops and armed factions involved in Sudan’s protracted civil war.
In an official statement, Communications Minister Mahamat Gassim Cherif said the decision was prompted by “repeated incursions and violations committed by the forces engaged in the conflict in Sudan on Chadian territory.” He stressed that the move is aimed at preventing any spillover of the conflict into Chad.
Sudan has been gripped by a brutal power struggle between government forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for nearly three years.
The war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced an estimated 11 million people, creating what the United Nations describes as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
According to Chadian authorities, RSF operations near the shared frontier have heightened tensions, with at least nine Chadian soldiers reportedly killed in separate cross-border incidents since December.
Reaffirming the country’s stance, the government declared that Chad “reserves the right to retaliate against any aggression or violation of the inviolability of its territory and its borders.”
As part of the new measures, all cross-border movement of goods and people has been suspended. However, the government noted that exceptional exemptions may be granted on humanitarian grounds.
The closure underscores growing regional concerns over the widening impact of Sudan’s conflict and signals Chad’s determination to safeguard its territorial integrity and national security.
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