N’DJAMENA, March 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Clashes between two communities have killed at least 42 people in eastern Chad, the public security ministry said, in a region often hit by disputes between groups over land.
The ministry did not say who was involved in the fighting, but the desert region is often the scene of clashes between sedentary farmers and nomadic breeders, or other groups.
It said in a statement that the fighting led to the arrest of 175 people at the scene, where “a large part” of the village of Tileguey in Ouaddai province was “set on fire by armed men”.
“The situation is under control but I’m trying to reconcile the different parties,” Public Security Minister General Mahamat Charfadine Margui said.
The minister was at the site of the fighting, heading a delegation of government and army members aimed at “shedding full light” on the incident.
In eastern and southern Chad, where many residents are armed, clashes frequently break out as farmers accuse herders of allowing animals to graze on their land or trample on crops. — NNN-AGENCIES
