The Chadian government has emphatically rejected accusations from the United Nations concerning civilian fatalities during aerial operations targeting Boko Haram within the Lake Chad Basin. During a press briefing held this Thursday, May 14, officials demanded concrete evidence and extended an invitation for an independent investigative mission to visit the country.
The UN had previously indicated on Sunday that airstrikes, reportedly conducted by Nigerian and Chadian forces, might have resulted in approximately one hundred civilian deaths in northeastern Nigeria and Chad. Some of these casualties were allegedly linked to ongoing operations against Boko Haram, prompting the UN to call for a thorough inquiry.
Gassim Chérif Mahamat, the Minister of Communication and government spokesperson, described these allegations as entirely unfounded. “We respond with astonishment. These serious accusations aim to discredit the Chadian Army, even as it stands on the frontline in the fight against terrorism across the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin. This is a professional army with a proven track record,” he asserted.
According to Minister Mahamat, the areas targeted by Chadian aviation contained “neither civilians nor fishermen.” He added, “As of now, 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 further highlighted that the state of emergency enforced in the region is specifically designed to safeguard the security and well-being of the populace, with military and security services permanently stationed there.
He also underscored that the strategy for countering Boko Haram is built upon two essential pillars: a robust security component and a vital socio-economic dimension. He stated that the State has made significant investments in the area to combat indoctrination, which is often exacerbated 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 bordering Lake Chad and maintains close cooperation with Nigeria in the ongoing battle against the Boko Haram insurgency.
Earlier, on May 4 and 6, the jihadist group launched attacks on Chadian Army positions, causing multiple fatalities and injuries. For N’Djamena, it is unequivocally Boko Haram that is responsible for the persistent violence, not the Chadian Army.