Deep Dive: Chad Closes Borders with Sudan

Chad's closure of its borders with Sudan represents a critical escalation in regional tensions within the Sahel and Horn of Africa. From a geopolitical lens, this move by Chad's government likely responds to security threats posed by Sudan's ongoing civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has spilled over into cross-border violence and refugee flows. Key actors include Chad's President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, who seeks to protect national stability amid domestic insurgencies like Boko Haram, and Sudan's warring factions, whose conflict disrupts Lake Chad Basin dynamics. Historically, the two nations share a porous 1,400 km border in the Darfur and Ouaddaï regions, a corridor long exploited by Janjaweed militias and rebels, exacerbating ethnic ties between Arab nomadic groups across the divide. As international correspondent, this closure halts vital humanitarian corridors, affecting over 600,000 Sudanese refugees hosted in eastern Chad since 2023 displacements. Organizations like UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN agency coordinating global refugee aid) face compounded challenges, with supply lines severed. Cross-border trade in livestock, gold, and grains, essential for both economies, grinds to a halt, potentially inflating food prices in Chad's vulnerable east. Beyond the region, European nations reliant on Sahel migration routes for stability watch closely, as displaced populations may surge northward toward Libya and the Mediterranean. Regionally, this isolates Sudan's RSF-dominated Darfur, where Chadian support has been alleged, while bolstering Chad's alignment with Egypt and UAE-backed factions. Culturally, the Zaghawa and other transborder ethnic groups face severed kinship networks, deepening grievances. Implications ripple to the African Union and IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development, East Africa's body for conflict resolution), stalling mediation efforts. Outlook suggests prolonged instability unless UN-brokered talks revive, with risks of famine and radicalization rising in tandem.