This archive report was first published on 9 August 2019.
Chad President Idriss Deby has condemned the latest wave of intercommunal violence in the eastern province of Ouaddie, which has left at least 37 people dead.
According to President Deby, the violence broke out over three days in a strategic area on the border with Sudan.
"The intercommunal conflict has become a national concern," Deby told a press conference to mark the country's independence day on Friday. "We are witnessing a terrible phenomenon."
Eastern Chad has been plagued by a cycle of violence between nomadic camel herders and sedentary farmers, with the latest fighting erupting on Monday in the village of Hamra after a rancher was killed.
President Deby has vowed to take action against those responsible for the violence, saying that police who were sent to the scene came under fire and that "gun owners do not hesitate to shoot the police. It is a total war... we must engage against those who carry weapons and killing people," he said.
Deby has hinted at reintroducing military courts to curb the unrest, a suggestion that has been denounced by the country's opposition.
Published on August 9, 2019, by AFP.
