President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno has ordered the immediate closure of Chad’s border with Sudan and placed the military on maximum alert following a reported drone attack on Chadian territory.
The directive was issued after an emergency defence and security council meeting held late on Wednesday night March 18 at the presidential palace in N’Djamena.
According to sources, the move came in response to what authorities described as a fresh incursion involving Sudanese drones, raising tensions along the shared border.
The high-level meeting was attended by Prime Minister Allamaye Halina, senior government officials, top military commanders, and heads of security agencies.
During the session, Deby Itno reviewed Chad’s diplomatic efforts to help resolve the ongoing conflict in Sudan, noting that multiple mediation attempts had failed to yield results. He also expressed concern over the humanitarian strain caused by the conflict, including the influx of refugees and the spread of intercommunal tensions due to shared ethnic ties.
In response to the latest incident, the president ordered the full closure of the approximately 1,300-kilometre border between Chad and Sudan. He also directed the deployment of a government delegation to the affected areas to assess both human and material losses.
Furthermore, Deby Itno instructed the armed forces to maintain maximum operational readiness and to respond decisively to any further aggression.
The directive applies to hostile actions linked to forces loyal to Abdel Fattah al-Burhan or the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Officials said the meeting concluded with immediate orders to military commanders to implement the president’s directives without delay.
The development marks a significant escalation in regional tensions, as the conflict in Sudan continues to pose cross-border security challenges for neighboring countries, including Chad.
