Chad bolsters border security with Sudan amid Darfur clashes

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September 19, 2024 (ABECHE) – Chad has ramped up security on its border with Sudan, deploying a significant number of troops amid escalating fighting in Darfur, a Chadian official told Sudan Tribune on Thursday.

The move comes as battles intensify between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.

“Authorities in the Ouaddaï region, bordering Sudan’s Darfur, have deployed unprecedented military reinforcements along the border for fear of armed groups infiltrating into Chad,” the source said, declining to be named.

Chad fears the infiltration of fighters from both sides of the conflict, as well as the possibility of opposition groups entering Chad from Sudan, the source added.

Chadian officials claim Osman Dillo, brother of slain opposition figure Yahiya or Yaya Dillo, is fighting alongside the Sudanese army in El Fasher.

The Sudanese government has accused Chad of supporting the RSF, alleging that all supplies for the group sent by the United Arab Emirates transit through Chad.

The Chadian source described the troop deployment as a routine measure to prevent any hostile act or infiltration that may threaten national security.

Ndjamena has not released a statement explaining the reason for its troop deployment along the border 17 months after the outbreak of war in Sudan.