Chad has begun the emergency relocation of refugees stationed at its border with Sudan, as the army prepares to deploy in the area in response to cross-border attacks, a National Agency official for refugees told Reuters on Monday.
Last week, President Mahamat Idriss Deby ordered the army to prepare for reprisals after a drone attack from Sudan killed 17 people in Chad, including mourners attending a funeral.
In a separate statement released last week, the government stated that Chad had strengthened its security presence at the border and could potentially conduct operations in Sudanese territory.
The initial relocation operations will involve around 2,300 people, more than half of whom are women and children, said Saleh Tebir Souleymane, representing the border town of Tine for the National Commission for the Reception and Reintegration of Refugees and Returnees (CNARR).
The transfer of populations to locations inside the country, away from the front line, began on Saturday in the province of Ennedi Est, and was expected to extend to all border towns serving as transit sites by Monday, according to Mr. Souleymane.
“We have received instructions from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to act quickly because the border will be secured in the coming days by the army, which is already deploying there,” he added.
Chad closed its eastern border with Sudan last month after clashes related to the conflict cost the lives of five Chadian soldiers.
However, refugees continue to arrive “due to the intensity of the fighting in Sudan”, emphasized the official.
The conflict in Sudan between the regular army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries, which began in April 2023, occasionally spills over into Chadian territory, causing human casualties and material damage.
