The Chadian government has firmly refuted allegations made by the United Nations concerning civilian fatalities during aerial assaults targeting Boko Haram within the strategic Lake Chad basin. During a press briefing held on Thursday, May 14, officials demanded concrete evidence for the claims and extended an invitation for an independent investigative mission to visit the country.
The UN had previously indicated on Sunday that airstrikes, attributed to both Nigerian and Chadian forces, were responsible for approximately one hundred civilian deaths in northeastern Nigeria and Chad. These fatalities reportedly occurred during operations aimed at combating Boko Haram, prompting the UN to call for a thorough inquiry.
Gassim Chérif Mahamat, the Minister of Communication and government spokesperson, characterized these accusations as unfounded. He stated, “We respond with astonishment. These serious allegations aim to discredit the Chadian Army, even as it stands on the front line in the fight against terrorism across the Sahel and the Lake Chad basin. This is a professional army with a proven track record.”
Minister Mahamat asserted that no civilians or fishermen were present in the specific areas targeted by Chadian aerial operations. He added, “Currently, no formal evidence supports these accusations,” further clarifying that N’Djamena is prepared to “conduct its own investigations and to welcome the United Nations or any other international body to the field to carry out independent inquiries.”
The spokesperson reiterated that an ongoing state of emergency in the affected region is intended to safeguard the security and welfare of local populations. Both the army and security services maintain a continuous presence there.
He also emphasized that the comprehensive strategy against Boko Haram rests on two fundamental pillars: robust security measures and significant socio-economic development. According to Mahamat, the Chadian government has made substantial investments in the region to counter the indoctrination often fueled by poverty and inadequate infrastructure.
“Chad bears the heaviest burden, through its people and its constantly mobilized army,” Gassim Chérif Mahamat stressed. He reminded observers that Chad is not the sole riparian state of Lake Chad and actively collaborates with Nigeria in the ongoing struggle against the Boko Haram insurgency.
Just recently, on May 4 and 6, the jihadist group launched attacks on Chadian Army positions, resulting in numerous casualties. For N’Djamena, it is unequivocally Boko Haram that is responsible for the violence and instability, not the Chadian Army.
