Chad has placed its military on maximum alert after accusing Sudan’s armed forces of bombing a vehicle convoy more than 100 km inside Chadian territory.
The incident, which occurred on August 20 in the Mourdi department of Ennedi-Est Province, has reignited fears that Sudan’s civil war could spill further into neighboring states.
According to a statement from the Chadian General Staff issued on August 20, aircraft and drones “believed to belong to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) or their supporters” pursued and struck a convoy deep inside Chad. Chadian authorities said the operation began on the Sudanese side of the border before extending over roughly 100 km into Chadian territory.
Army spokesperson Gen. Chanane Issakha Acheikh said the incident prompted the highest level of alert and warned that Chad “reserves the right to take necessary measures to defend national sovereignty.” The National Assembly backed the military’s stance, denouncing the attack in strong terms.
Chad shares a 1,300‑km porous frontier with Sudan, where fighting between the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has raged since 2023. Both sides have repeatedly accused each other of using neighboring territory for logistics and reinforcements.
In recent days, Sudanese-aligned sources claimed to have destroyed dozens of RSF vehicles and captured fighters in operations targeting convoys moving through the Chad–Sudan border zone.
Khartoum has long accused N’Djamena of facilitating RSF supply lines, including alleged UAE-backed shipments transiting Chadian airports—claims denied by Chad, the UAE and the RSF. Tensions escalated in June when Chad closed the Sudanese consulate in Abéché and ordered its staff out, citing security concerns.
Chad has previously vowed to investigate and retaliate against what it terms aggression on its soil, and this cross-border incident could prompt tighter border controls or limited kinetic responses if N’Djamena concludes its sovereignty was deliberately targeted.
