Chad Declares State Of Emergency In Lake Chad Region After Deadly Boko Haram Strikes

Chad has imposed a 20-day state of emergency across the troubled Lake Chad region following a series of deadly attacks attributed to the Boko Haram jihadist group.

The declaration, made on Thursday, comes in the wake of one of the deadliest weeks the region has seen in recent memory.

At least 26 military personnel lost their lives in a string of ambushes, among them two high-ranking generals.

The scale of the losses prompted the government to declare a period of nationwide mourning while simultaneously ramping up military operations in the affected areas.

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Government spokesman Gassim Cherif confirmed that authorities had conducted a thorough review of the deteriorating security and humanitarian conditions in the region, pointing to a resurgence of Boko Haram activity, the displacement of civilians, and mounting dangers to both lives and property as key factors behind the emergency declaration.

The bloodshed was triggered in part by a brazen raid on the Barka Tolorom military base situated along the shores of Lake Chad.

Military sources confirmed that at least 24 Chadian soldiers were killed in the assault, with several more sustaining injuries.

Cherif also disclosed that President Mahamat Idriss Deby formally extended his appreciation to the Nigerian government for its solidarity and operational coordination in joint counterterrorism efforts.

The Lake Chad Basin which borders Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria, and Niger has long been a hotbed of insurgent activity.

The lake’s remote and hard-to-reach islands have historically served as bases of operation for both Boko Haram and ISWAP militants, and attacks on regional security forces show no signs of abating.