Chad has begun an emergency relocation of about 2,300 refugees from its border with Sudan as the army moves to secure the frontier following a cross‑border drone strike that killed 17 people. The initial operation, focused on Ennedi Est and other transit towns, prioritizes women and children and will expand in the coming days. Chad closed its eastern border after clashes killed five Chadian soldiers, and officials warn the Sudan conflict has periodically spilled into Chadian territory since April 2023.
Chad Begins Emergency Relocation of Sudanese Refugees as Army Deploys to Border After Deadly Drone Strike
FILE PHOTO: People travel between Chad and Sudan, amid the ongoing conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Army, at the Tine border post in eastern Chad, November 22, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo
By Mahamat Ramadane — N'DJAMENA, March 23
Chad has launched an emergency program to move refugees away from its eastern border with Sudan as the Chadian army prepares to deploy to the frontier in response to cross‑border attacks, a senior official from the national refugee commission told Reuters.
President Mahamat Idriss Deby last week ordered the military to prepare retaliatory measures after a cross‑border drone strike from Sudan killed 17 people in Chad, including mourners at a funeral. A government statement also said Chad has reinforced security along the border and has not ruled out conducting operations on Sudanese territory.
FILE PHOTO: Chadian soldiers inspect vehicles travelling between Chad and Sudan, amid the ongoing conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Army, at the Tine border post in eastern Chad, November 22, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo
Initial relocation efforts will cover roughly 2,300 people — more than half of them women and children — according to Saleh Tebir Souleymane, the representative of Chad's National Commission for the Reception and Reintegration of Refugees and Returnees in the border town of Tine.
"We have received instructions from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to act quickly because the border will be secured in the coming days by the army, which is already deploying there," Souleymane said.
Authorities began moving families further inland on Saturday in Ennedi Est province and planned to expand the operation to all border towns that have served as transit points for refugees. Chad closed its eastern border with Sudan last month after clashes linked to the Sudan conflict left five Chadian soldiers dead, but refugees continue to arrive because of intense fighting on the Sudanese side.
The broader conflict in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in April 2023, has at times spilled across into Chadian territory, causing casualties and property damage and creating recurring humanitarian strains for communities along the border.
Context: The relocations aim to protect vulnerable civilians and ease pressure on frontier towns while security forces move to secure the area. Humanitarian authorities say they will expand assistance as relocations continue.
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