Chad declared a 20-day state of emergency on Thursday evening in the Lake Chad region, plagued by jihadist terrorism, a few days after attacks carried out by Boko Haram cost the lives of at least 26 soldiers.
The move comes as the government of the Central African country declared national mourning after two generals, who were patrolling the islands of the vast border lake, were killed Wednesday in an ambush by the jihadist group. This attack closely followed an attack on the Barka Tolorom military base, on the Chadian shore of the lake, which left at least 24 soldiers dead and several injured, according to a military source.
Thursday's government decree decreed that the state of emergency would be in force "from May 7, 2026 at midnight until May 27, 2026 at midnight", adding that the border would be closed and a curfew would be imposed. In a speech broadcast Thursday evening on Chadian national television, government spokesperson Gassim Cherif clarified that this measure made it possible "to arrest the suspects and their pre-trial detention, as well as to prohibit the movement of people, vehicles, motorcycles and motorboats".
Straddling the borders of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, Lake Chad's many islands have long served as a refuge for fighters from Boko Haram and its rival splinter group, the West Africa Province of the Islamic State (ISWAP). Soldiers are increasingly the target of Boko Haram fire in the Lake Chad basin, an attack in October 2024 that left some 40 dead in the ranks of the Chadian army.
Recent months have also seen a surge in attacks by the group's JAS faction, including kidnappings and attacks on forward army positions, particularly on the islands and along the Nigerien part of the lake shores. In response to the October 2024 attack, Deby launched a counter-offensive that he pledged to carry out "personally" on the ground for two weeks. At the end of this offensive, in February 2025, the army affirmed that Boko Haram had "no longer any refuge on Chadian territory".
