Chadian army denies collusion in inter-communal attacks on Sudan’s border
August 6, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – Chad’s army denied turning a blind eye to inter-communal attacks on West Darfur herders from Chad and accused some politicians without indicating their nationality of inciting hatred between the two peoples.
Chadian assailants killed 18 Sudanese and looted some 300 camels on August 3 and 4, while a four-day meeting was taking place in Khartoum between the Sudanese and Chadian senior military officials to evaluate the joint border force and ways to enhance its activities.
Following the attacks on his tribesmen, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the deputy chairman of the Sovereign Council after their funerals of the victims that he requested an emergency meeting of the Security and Defence Council to take measures to deter these attacks.
“Regarding the chaos on the border area, we will resolve it radically whatever its source and no matter how important he is,” he said in response to claims by Arab tribal leaders who accused the Chadian force of preventing them from pursuing the rustlers while ignoring the attacks by the Chadian side.
The video of Hemetti’s statement was widely spread on social media among the Chadians.
Some Chadian media reported that the deputy head of the Sovereign Council pledged to dissolve the joint border forces.
“If there is no interest in maintaining it, Sudan will ask for its dissolution,” wrote the Alwihdainfo on Saturday.
In a statement broadcast by the official media in Arabic and French, a military spokesman for the Chadian army in the joint forces confirmed the death of 18 Sudanese and nine people from the Chadian side during the inter-communal attacks.
“The genesis of the conflict would have started from the kidnapping of five camels in Chadian territory by Sudanese citizens, which degenerated into clashes during the pursuit by the owners,” he said.
The Chadian official added that such “unfortunate and repetitive incidents” would negatively affect social cohesion and peaceful coexistence” between the people on the border areas.
He further disclosed that the command of the joint force was heading to the area where the attacks took place to investigate the issue.
Incitement to hatred
The Chadian military spokesman warned against statements stirring up hatred between the two countries by political leaders without naming them or indicating their nationality.
“Some politicians through social networks, instead of playing appeasement, they rather incite the population to violence and hatred, while accusing the joint force and the (Chadian) security forces of inefficiency and complacency”.
He stressed that the joint forces demand to produce evidence proving these claims involving them in these attacks.
Before concluding his statement, the Chadian military underscored that Chadian and Sudanese troops f the joint forces have been killed during the “accomplishment of their noble mission”.
Khartoum summons Chadian envoy
Sudanese foreign minister on Sunday summoned the Chadian ambassador to Khartoum to protest the incursions of Chadian assailants inside the Sudanese territory.
“The acting Minister Ali al-Sadiq informed the Ambassador of Chad, on Saturday, of Sudan’s protest and condemnation of the incident that took place on the 3rd of August in West Darfur State,” according to the official news agency SUNA.
The minister called on Chad to arrest the intruders and return the stolen livestock to their owners in Sudan as soon as possible.
(ST)