Chadian soldiers board a Multinational Joint Task Force boat at a military base in Lake Chad Province on May 6, 2026. Chad declared three days of national mourning after a new attack by Boko Haram jihadists on May 6 that killed two generals in the volatile Lake Chad Basin. Chadian soldiers are frequently targeted by Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, a vast expanse of water and marshland dotted with islands, located between Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, and Chad. (Photo by Joris Bolomey / AFP)
Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno made a firm pledge in his May 5 Facebook statement: “We will continue this fight with renewed strength until this threat is completely eliminated.” His words came in response to a brazen attack launched the previous day by an offshoot of the jihadist group Boko Haram against the military base in Barka Tolorom—a strategic outpost on the Chadian side of Lake Chad. The assault left 24 soldiers dead and sent shockwaves through the region’s security apparatus.
