At least 42 people have been killed and 10 injured in eastern Chad following a fight over a water well that spiraled into ethnic violence, according to officials. The conflict in Wadi Fira province began between two families but quickly triggered reprisal attacks, burning villages across a wide area.
A delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Limane Mahamat was dispatched on Sunday and has stabilized the situation. Deadly communal clashes are common in Chad, often sparked by competition for water and grazing land between farmers and herders.
The recent influx of refugees from Sudan's civil war has heightened resource tensions. The deputy prime minister stated the government is taking all necessary steps to prevent the Sudan conflict from destabilizing the border region.
Over the past years, hundreds have died in such clashes. In November, 33 were killed over a disputed well in Dibebe, southwest Chad. The International Crisis Group reports 1,000 deaths and 2,000 injuries in about 100 clashes between 2021 and 2024. Amnesty International documented seven episodes of herder-farmer violence from 2022 to 2024, resulting in 98 deaths, citing climate change and delayed security responses that foster impunity.