Ethnic Violence in Chad

Chad, globally known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country located in the north-central region of Africa. By virtue of its size, Chad is the fifth largest country in Africa.

Chad is bordered by Libya in the north, the Central African Republic in the south, Sudan in the east, has Niger in the west while the nations of Cameroon and Nigeria are located in its southwest.?

The capital and largest city of Chad is N’Djamena.

Geography of Chad

• The nation of Chad has several separate climatic regions.
• This includes a desert zone in the north, an arid Sahelian belt in the centre and a more fertile Sudanian Savanna zone in the south.
• The country is named after the Lake Chad which is the largest wetland in Chad and the second-largest overall in Africa.

Current Demographics of Chad

• The official languages of Chad are Arabic and French.
• The nation of Chad plays host to over 200 different ethnic and linguistic groups.
• The citizens of Chad are majorly the adherents of Islam (at 55%) and of Christianity (at 40%).

Leadership of Chad

• After conquering the territory in 1920 known as Chad today, the French incorporated it into French Equatorial Africa.
• Chad obtained its independence from France in 1960 under the leadership of Fran?ois Tombalbaye.
• Currently, Chad is governed by President Idriss Deby, who has been in power for nearly 3 decades.

Why Chad is in News?

Over 37 people have been killed in an intercommunal conflict in Chad. The violence took place in the Eastern Chad where the Zaghawa and Ouaddian community hail from. While the Zaghawa community is involved in camel herding, the Ouaddian community is mainly involved in farming.

The current leader of Chad, President Idriss Deby belongs to Zaghawa community.