Chad begins relocation of refugees along its border with Sudan

Chad has began the relocation of refugees from the border with Sudan amid rising insecurity.

The evacuations already began in Ennedi Est Province over the weekend, with the government targeting to relocate at least 2,300 refugees, mostly women and children.

Chad President Mahamat Idriss Deby had directed the military to deploy across the border, signaling retaliatory action after a recent drone attack killed at least 17 people.

The Chadian government said last week that it was going to deploy military across the border to potentially counter recent attacks from the Sudan side, threatening further infiltration into Sudan if attacks persist.

Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees have poured across the border into Chad since the conflict began. Chad's statement noted that “exceptional exceptions, strictly justified by humanitarian reasons, may be granted” to the border closure.

Chad closed its border for a period shortly after Sudan plunged into chaos in April 2023, when a power struggle between the military and the RSF exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere in the country.

The war has killed more than 40,000 people, according to United Nations figures, but aid groups say the true number could be many times higher.

The conflict has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with over 14 million people forced to flee their homes. It has also fueled disease outbreaks and pushed parts of Sudan into famine.