N’Djamena challenges un claims of civilian deaths in anti-Boko Haram airstrikes
The Chadian government has unequivocally rejected allegations from the United Nations concerning civilian fatalities during airstrikes targeting Boko Haram in the Lake Chad basin. During a press briefing held this past Thursday, authorities demanded concrete evidence and extended an invitation for an independent investigative mission to visit the region.
The United Nations had previously indicated on Sunday that aerial bombardments, attributed to both Nigerian and Chadian forces, were allegedly responsible for approximately one hundred civilian deaths in northeastern Nigeria and Chad. These incidents reportedly occurred during operations against 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. “We respond with astonishment. These serious allegations aim to discredit the Chadian Army, even as it stands on the front lines of the fight against terrorism across the Sahel and within the Lake Chad basin. Our army is a professional force with a proven track record,” he asserted.
According to Minister Mahamat, the areas targeted by Chadian aviation contained “neither civilians nor fishermen.” He further added, “Currently, no formal evidence substantiates these accusations,” emphasizing that N’Djamena is prepared to “conduct its own investigations and to invite the United Nations or any other international body to come to the field to carry out independent inquiries.”
The spokesperson reiterated that an ongoing state of emergency in the affected zone is primarily intended to safeguard the security and welfare of local populations, with military and security services maintaining a constant presence.
He also highlighted that the comprehensive strategy against Boko Haram rests on two fundamental pillars: security measures and socio-economic development. He explained that the State has made substantial investments in the region to counteract the indoctrination often fueled by poverty and inadequate infrastructure.
“Chad bears the heaviest burden, through its population and its constantly mobilized army,” Gassim Chérif Mahamat stressed. He reminded observers that Chad is not the sole riparian state of Lake Chad and maintains close cooperation with Nigeria in the ongoing battle against the Boko Haram insurgency.
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, not the Chadian Army.
