At least 42 people were murdered in clashes between two tribes in eastern Chad on Thursday, according to the public security ministry, in a desert part of the huge Sahel country prone to land conflicts.
The ministry did not specify who was engaged in the violence or how long it lasted, although confrontations over land are common in the area between sedentary farmers and nomadic breeders, among other groups.
According to a statement, the battle resulted in the arrest of 175 persons on the site, 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,” said Public Security Minister General Mahamat Charfadine Margui said.
The minister was at the scene of the conflict, leading a delegation of government and military officials tasked with “shedding full light” on the tragedy.
Farmers frequently dispute with herders in eastern and southern Chad, where many inhabitants are armed, accusing them of allowing animals to graze on their land or trample on crops.