Chad has declared a state of
emergency in the Lake Chad region after a series of raids and suicide bombings
there by militant Islamist group Boko Haram, the government said on Monday.
Chad was instrumental in
forcing Boko Haram to cede territory earlier this year, undermining its
six-year campaign to carve out a Nigerian caliphate.
But guerrillas have since
ramped up attacks in remote border areas around Lake Chad, killing at least
three people in a Chadian village on Sunday and three Nigerian refugees in
northern Cameroon on Monday.
Chad's Communications Minister
Hassan Sylla Bakari said the order, effective immediately, would grant
authorities new power to search and monitor residents in the region.
There has not been a state of
emergency in Chad, one of Africa's military heavyweights, since a series of
rebellions in the 2000s springing from its volatile east. Neighboring Niger
also has a state of emergency in its border region of Diffa.
A top U.N. official said last
month that an 8,700 regional task force will begin joint raids against Boko
Haram when the rainy season ends soon.
Vice Admiral Michael Franken,
U.S. Africa Command's Deputy for Military Operations, told Reuters on Monday he
expected Nigeria-led actions to lead to “significant degradation” in Boko
Haram’s activities within six months.
The United States has sent
troops to provide intelligence and other assistance to counter Boko Haram.
Source: VOA News
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