General Ali Ahmat Aghabache, Chad’s Minister of Public Security and Immigration, addressed the nation’s senators on June 1, 2026. The session focused on an oral question with debate initiated by Senator Mbaigolmen Sébastien, concerning the ongoing violence and insecurity plaguing Chad. Dr. Haroun Kabadi, President of the Senate, presided over the discussions.
Dr. Kabadi opened the session by acknowledging that despite the deployment of defense and security forces across various provinces, numerous conflicts persist. He cited specific incidents, including those in Mayo-Kebbi Ouest and Salamat in June 2025, and a deadly clash in Hadjar-Lamis on November 4, 2025, which claimed several lives. Additionally, an altercation between herders and farmers erupted on May 14, 2025, in Mandakao, Logone Occidental province, eventually leading to an agreement signed on July 5, 2025.
In response to Senator Sébastien’s inquiry, Minister Aghabache provided clarity on the root causes of intercommunal conflicts. He explained that these disputes frequently revolve around access to water points, land ownership, and tensions between agriculturalists and livestock breeders. Before delving into specifics, the Minister offered his profound condolences, observing a moment of silence for citizens who had lost their lives or suffered temporary or permanent disabilities due to these widespread communal clashes. He expressed a desire for the debate to encompass the broader issue of community conflicts, extending beyond Dougui in Logone Occidental to include departments such as Mayo-Kebbi, Wadi, Sila, Bahr El-Ghazal, Salamat, and more recently, Wadi Fira. “We share the grief of the bereaved families and extend our heartfelt sympathy to all victims of these violent acts,” he affirmed.
The Minister also reassured the assembly of his department’s full commitment to delivering clear answers and practical solutions to the security challenges confronting the nation.
While acknowledging the existence of certain “pockets of insecurity,” the Minister of Security asserted that the overall security situation in Chad remains largely stable. He emphasized that no country in the world experiences perfect security or an absolute absence of threats. He further highlighted that these tensions, often locally exploited or manipulated, cannot be resolved solely through security presence, which primarily aims to contain violence and foster conditions for lasting political and social solutions.
Despite isolated incidents, strategies for preventing and resolving communal conflicts are considered the most effective in addressing the phenomenon at its source. Minister Aghabache summarized the contributing factors to the rise and persistence of violence across various provinces:
- Natural Resource Disputes: Tensions and violent acts escalate during the rainy season in eastern, southern, and central Chad, primarily due to livestock damaging agricultural crops. These disagreements often devolve into violent retaliations instead of peaceful resolution.
- Land and Water Scarcity: Climate change and drought in northern regions have diminished pastoral resources, compelling herders to migrate southward. Simultaneously, population growth and expanding cultivated areas intensify pressure on both agricultural and pastoral lands, fueling conflicts among local communities.
- Absence of Clear Resource Regulation and Legal Framework: The lack of precise maps delineating transhumance corridors, land rights, and agricultural zones creates a legal void that promotes disputes between groups.
- Demographic Growth: An increasing population drives higher demand for pastures, water, food, and land, thereby exacerbating pressure on fragile ecosystems and local communities.
- Political Exploitation of Tribal Affiliations: Certain political actors leverage tribal identities to garner support, enhance their influence, or secure personal or political advantages, further aggravating local tensions and conflicts.
- Ethnic Diversity and Tribal Structure: Chadian society is remarkably complex, comprising over 200 ethnic groups. The predominance of tribal allegiance over national identity has weakened the sense of belonging to the state and the concept of citizenship.
- Influence of Neighboring Countries’ Security and Regional Conflicts: The cross-border circulation of light weapons has provided local communities with access to deadly automatic firearms, intensifying traditional conflicts and increasing their human cost.
- Land Ownership and Historical Border Disputes: These conflicts, rooted in historical boundaries between social components, resulted in a total of 318 deaths and 315 injuries in 2025.
Senators posed several questions to the Minister, inquiring about the provinces most affected by violence, the measures implemented to reduce unrest in specific areas, and the issue of small arms proliferation. While acknowledging and commending the Minister’s efforts in combating insecurity nationwide, the senators underscored that significant work remains.
Addressing the intercommunal conflicts, the Minister of Security urged local leaders, traditional chiefs, and elected representatives to prioritize raising awareness about the importance of peaceful coexistence and social cohesion to prevent future clashes. He also took the opportunity to present a summary of police and gendarmerie operations conducted between 2024 and 2025, which saw the seizure of over 4,000 weapons, the arrest of more than 1,300 bandits, and the confiscation of substantial quantities of illicit drugs.
Further questions were raised and answered by the Minister, including concerns about kidnappings for ransom, particularly in Mayo-Kebbi Ouest, and the abduction of children by the Boko Haram sect in Lac province. Senator Mariam Ahmat Djamil specifically highlighted the worrying presence of unidentified foreigners in Chad as a significant source of insecurity. Regarding the establishment of new police stations to enhance security, the Minister confirmed his department’s active efforts. He noted that recent creations of several police stations and companies in Abéché, Ouaddaï province, have notably reduced insecurity in that region for some time.
