N’Djamena has firmly rejected accusations from the United Nations regarding civilian casualties reportedly sustained during anti-Boko Haram airstrikes in the crucial Lake Chad basin. Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, May 14, Chadian officials demanded concrete evidence to support these claims and extended an invitation for an independent investigative mission to visit the country.
Previously, the UN indicated on Sunday that aerial operations, attributed to Nigerian and Chadian military forces, might have caused approximately one hundred civilian fatalities in both northeastern Nigeria and within Chad. Some of these alleged deaths occurred during missions targeting the Boko Haram extremist group, prompting the UN to call for a thorough inquiry.
Gassim Chérif Mahamat, Chad’s Minister of Communication and government spokesperson, dismissed these allegations as unfounded. He expressed profound astonishment, asserting that such serious accusations are intended to discredit the Chadian Army, particularly as it stands at the forefront of the fight against terrorism across the Sahel and the broader Lake Chad region. He underscored the army’s professionalism and proven track record.
Minister Mahamat maintained that the zones targeted by Chadian aviation contained “neither civilians nor fishermen.” He further stated that “for now, no formal proof corroborates these accusations.” N’Djamena, he clarified, is prepared to conduct its own investigations and welcomes the United Nations or any other international body to undertake independent inquiries on the ground.
The spokesperson highlighted that the state of emergency currently in effect across the area is designed to safeguard the security and well-being of the local population. Military and security services are continuously deployed there to ensure stability.
He also emphasized that the strategy to combat Boko Haram rests on two fundamental pillars: robust security measures and comprehensive socio-economic development. According to Mahamat, the Chadian state has made significant investments in the region to counter the indoctrination often fueled by pervasive poverty and inadequate infrastructure.
“Chad pays the heaviest price, through its people and its constantly mobilized army,” Gassim Chérif Mahamat asserted. He reminded observers that Chad is not the sole riparian state bordering Lake Chad and actively cooperates with Nigeria in the ongoing struggle against the Boko Haram insurgency.
Earlier, on May 4 and 6, the jihadist group launched assaults on Chadian Army positions, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries among military personnel. For N’Djamena, it is unequivocally Boko Haram that bears responsibility for the violence, not the Chadian armed forces.
