At least 33 people have been killed in renewed intercommunal clashes in southwestern Chad following a violent dispute over the control of a water well, according to local media reports on Wednesday.
The deadly confrontation occurred late Tuesday in Dibebe village, located about 15 kilometres from Ngoura in Hadjer Lamis province. Local sources who spoke to Tchadinfos said the conflict involved two communities who have long claimed ownership of the well, which has become an increasingly critical resource amid recurring drought pressures in the region.
Preliminary figures indicate that 18 deaths were recorded in Hadjer Lamis, with around 20 people injured, while 15 additional fatalities and a similar number of injured persons were reported in neighbouring Barh El Gazal region.
Local witnesses say the dispute over the land and water rights can be traced back to 1967, underscoring the deep-rooted and long-standing nature of the conflict. Some residents say competition for scarce resources has intensified recently, especially as climate change contributes to shrinking water access in parts of the Sahel.
Security forces have been deployed to the affected zones to prevent further escalation, but there are concerns that additional clashes could break out if grievances are not quickly resolved.
A delegation of senior government officials — including the Minister of Territorial Administration Limane Mahamat, the Minister of Justice Youssouf Tom, and the Minister of Public Security Ali Ahmat Akhabach — visited the crisis-hit communities to engage with local leaders and encourage dialogue aimed at restoring peace.
Chad has experienced multiple deadly incidents linked to resource scarcity in recent years, especially in rural areas where competition over land, grazing routes, and water sources often pits farming and pastoralist groups against one another. Authorities say a full investigation into the latest incident is underway.
Source:Africa Publicity
