Chad has announced the immediate closure of its border with Sudan following a series of deadly cross-border clashes involving armed groups linked to Sudan’s ongoing civil war.
The government said the decision, made public on Monday, comes after repeated incursions into Chadian territory by forces involved in the conflict across the frontier.
Communications Minister Mahamat Gassim Cherif, in a statement, said the move was aimed at preventing the spillover of violence into Chad.
“This decision follows repeated incursions and violations committed by the forces involved in the conflict in Sudan on Chadian territory,” he said, adding that authorities sought to halt “any risk of the conflict spreading” to the country.
Sudan has been engulfed in conflict for nearly three years, with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces battling government troops in a war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced about 11 million people, according to the United Nations.
Chadian authorities said the paramilitary group had conducted several operations near the shared border, and that at least nine Chadian soldiers have been killed in separate incidents since December.
In Monday’s statement, the government warned that Chad “reserves the right to retaliate against any aggression or violation of the inviolability of its territory and its borders.”
It added that cross-border movements of goods and people have been suspended until further notice, though “exceptional exemptions” would be granted for humanitarian purposes.