Chad Declares a State of Emergency in the Lake Chad Region

9 November 2015
After numerous Boko Haram attacks in the Lake Chad Region, the Chadian government has declared a state of emergency.

After the latest Boko Haram attack in the Lake Chad region, the Chadian government has declared a state of emergency in areas around Lake Chad. On November 8th twin suicide bombings by women attackers exploded in the flashpoint area of Lake Chad. The attack killed at least two civilians and injured 14.

Boko Haram has repeatedly attacked the Lake Chad region since jihadists launched operations in Chad in February. The deadliest attack happened on October 10th when five suicide bombers, three women and two children, attacked a market and an internally displaced persons’ camp on the outskirts of Baga Sola. The attack killed at least 48 people and injured dozens more. Baga Sola, a town on Lake Chad, is located near the Nigeria-Chad border.  

To combat the gathering numbers of Boko Haram fighters in the Lake Chad region, the Chadian government declared a state of emergency. The Lake Chad region state of emergency gives the government more authority to increase security. This includes the authority to ban the movement of people and vehicles, allows homes to be searched and the recovery of arms. The government also said that it is putting health, education and economic development in this area as top priority.

The United Nations supported the Chadian government’s decision to increase security in the country following the October 10th attack. In 2009, the Islamic State allied group launched military operations in Northern Nigeria, seizing much of north-eastern areas of the country. Chad has aided Nigeria in retaking most of the areas Boko Haram seized, recapturing most of them this year. Since the conflict began in 2009 thousands have been killed, mainly civilians, in north-eastern Nigeria. Boko Haram is known for attacking civilians, mainly by suicide bombings.

 

To read more on this topic, visit:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/10/suicide-bombers-attack-refugee-camp-market-chad-boko-haram
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-34771128
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=52229&Kw1=Chad+&Kw2=&Kw3=#.VkNUakYYGag
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=52250#.VkNUtEYYGag
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/11/chad-imposes-state-emergency-boko-haram-hit-area-151110081347223.html

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