N’Djamena – Sudan Now | March 19, 2026
Chadian authorities announced raising the military alert level to the highest state and closing the border with Sudan following a drone attack that targeted areas within Chadian territory, resulting in casualties, according to the presidency.
The Chadian presidency said that Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno led an emergency meeting of the Defense and Security Council, during which he ordered heightened combat readiness for the armed forces and the dispatch of a government delegation to assess human and material losses at the attack site.
It added that Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno had instructed the army to respond to any attacks launched from Sudanese territory, without definitively identifying those responsible for the assault.
In contrast, local military sources in the border area of At Tina said the drone was likely operated by the RSF, a claim that could not be independently verified.
The border between Sudan and Chad has experienced recurring tensions since the outbreak of war in Sudan in April 2023, with incidents of cross-border incursions and clashes, alongside the influx of thousands of refugees, prompting N’Djamena to bolster its military presence in the border areas.
Chad has closed its border with Sudan on multiple occasions over the past months, after accusing parties in the Sudanese conflict of carrying out attacks or crossing into its territory, amid fears of the conflict spreading regionally.
