Chad Threatens MNJTF Exit as Forces Mobilize Against Boko Haram
On October 27th, Boko Haram insurgents launched a well-coordinated and deadly assault on a Chadian military garrison in Ngouboua, approximately 20 kilometers from the Nigerian border. The assault commenced at 22:00 local time, leading to the deaths of 40 Chadian soldiers and wounding 37 others. Boko Haram operatives are reported to have taken control of the garrison, seized weaponry, destroyed vehicles equipped with heavy arms, and withdrew after executing this attack. This recent assault on Chadian forces has prompted Déby to vow relentless pursuit of those responsible, promising to track insurgents “to their furthest hideouts.” Through this, Déby has announced the commencement of a new military initiative, ‘Operation Haskanite,’ to counter the rise in insurgencies operating within the Lake Chad region.
Ngouboua has been targeted previously by Boko Haram, with 10 soldiers killed in a 2022 attack. However, this recent assault marks the deadliest assault on Chadian forces since 2020, when 98 soldiers were killed near Boma. That 2020 attack spurred President Déby to launch Operation Wrath of Boma, a 10-day military campaign across Lake Chad intended to eradicate jihadist bases and push insurgents out of Chad’s border. Following this operation, military officials announced around 1,000 Boko Haram fighters were neutralised, and the Chadian army had destroyed 50 pirogues used to transport insurgents and explosives across Lake Chad’s waterways.