N’DJAMENA, Chad (AP) At least 42 people were killed and 10 others injured after a dispute over a water well escalated into violent clashes between rival ethnic groups in eastern Chad, authorities said Sunday.
The fighting broke out in Wadi Fira province near the Sudan border, when a quarrel between two families over access to a well spiraled into reprisal attacks across several villages. Homes were burned and dozens of residents fled before the army intervened to restore order.
Deputy Prime Minister Limane Mahamat led a government delegation to the area, pledging “all necessary measures” to prevent further violence. Officials said the situation was now under control, with wounded victims evacuated to provincial health centers.
Communal clashes over land and water are common in Chad, where climate change and desertification have intensified competition for scarce resources. The influx of refugees from Sudan’s civil war has further strained local communities, heightening tensions.
Similar incidents have claimed hundreds of lives in recent years. In November 2025, 33 people were killed in Dibebe, southwest Chad, in another dispute over a well. Rights groups say nearly 1,000 people have died in communal clashes since 2021.
Humanitarian organizations warn that the latest violence could worsen displacement and food insecurity in one of the world’s most fragile regions.
