Deadly Clash Over Water Well Leaves 33 Dead in Chad

A fierce intercommunal clash over access to a water well has left at least 33 people dead in a village in Chad, officials confirmed on Wednesday

According to the state broadcaster ONAMA, the violence broke out on Tuesday between rival communities from the neighbouring Bahr-El-Gazel and Hadjer-Lamis provinces, both located in the western part of the Sahel nation

“The dispute, which erupted over a well claimed by both communities, resulted in 33 deaths and several injuries,” a senior government adviser told AFP on condition of anonymity

Government officials, local leaders, and army units have been deployed to the scene to restore calm, though tensions remain high, ONAMA reported

“Despite the presence of the authorities and the army, the situation on the ground is still tense,” a local source added

A senior political figure noted that the area has witnessed similar deadly conflicts in 1999 and 2004, each resulting in dozens of casualties

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Intercommunal violence remains frequent in Chad, particularly in rural regions where competition for scarce resources  such as water, land, and livestock  often fuels deadly confrontations

Writer : Mweru Mbugua