Chad denies targeting civilians in its fight against Boko Haram

On Thursday, the Chadian government rejected claims that it had deliberately targeted civilians in its military campaign against Boko Haram along the Lake Chad region.

Earlier this week, airstrikes carried out by Nigerian and Chadian forces killed dozens of people, leading the United Nations rights chief to call for independent investigations into the incidents.

According to local sources, up to 40 fishermen who were using the lake were reported missing following the bombings.

Chad’s Minister of Communication, Gassim Cherif Mahamat, told reporters that the allegations were “aimed at discrediting the Chadian army and may harm its dignity.”

“The Chadian armed forces remain professional and committed on the front line of the fight against terrorism in the Sahel and in the Lake Chad basin,” he added.

In contrast, the Nigerian army stated that its strikes were directed at jihadists operating on the lake, which borders Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger.

Mahamat said that authorities in N’Djamena were willing to conduct investigations but also accused Boko Haram of terrorising local communities.

Boko Haram has been conducting an Islamist insurgency in the area since 2009, and the region has also experienced violence from the splinter group Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP).

“In the interests of transparency, the Chadian state is ready to carry out investigations,” he added. “We have an independent judiciary and institutions capable of conducting inquiries with full transparency.”

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