The Chadian government has vehemently dismissed allegations from the United Nations concerning civilian fatalities during aerial operations targeting Boko Haram within the Lake Chad basin. Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, May 14, officials demanded concrete evidence and extended an invitation for an independent investigative mission to visit the region.
Earlier, on Sunday, the UN reported that airstrikes, purportedly carried out by Nigerian and Chadian forces, were responsible for approximately one hundred civilian deaths across northeastern Nigeria and Chad. These casualties reportedly occurred during operations specifically aimed at Boko Haram, prompting the UN to call for a thorough inquiry.
For Gassim Chérif Mahamat, the Minister of Communication and government spokesperson, these accusations are entirely baseless. He expressed profound astonishment, stating, “We respond with surprise. These grave allegations appear designed to discredit the Chadian Army, despite its crucial role on the front lines of the counter-terrorism effort across the Sahel and the Lake Chad basin. Our army is a professional force with a proven track record.”
Minister Mahamat further asserted that “neither civilians nor fishermen” were present in the specific areas targeted by Chadian aviation. He emphasized that “currently, no formal evidence supports these claims,” and underscored N’Djamena’s readiness to “conduct its own investigations and extend an invitation to the United Nations or any other international body to visit the ground and conduct independent inquiries.”
The spokesperson reiterated that the ongoing state of emergency in the affected zone is specifically designed to safeguard the security and welfare of its inhabitants. Military and security forces maintain a constant presence in these areas to uphold order and protection.
He also highlighted that the comprehensive strategy against Boko Haram is built upon two essential pillars: robust security measures and significant socio-economic development. According to him, the State has channeled substantial investments into the region to combat the indoctrination often fueled by pervasive poverty and inadequate infrastructure.
“Chad bears the heaviest burden, through its population and its constantly mobilized army,” Gassim Chérif Mahamat stressed. He reminded that Chad is not the sole riparian nation bordering Lake Chad, and it actively collaborates with Nigeria in the ongoing battle against the Boko Haram insurgency.
Just recently, on May 4 and 6, the jihadist group launched assaults on Chadian Army positions, resulting in multiple casualties. From N’Djamena’s perspective, Boko Haram is unequivocally responsible for the violence plaguing the region, not the Chadian military forces.
