N’DJAMENA, Chad — Chad has closed its eastern border with Sudan “until further notice” after clashes linked to Sudan’s civil war spilled into Chadian territory and killed five Chadian soldiers, officials said Monday. The move underscores growing fears that Sudan’s conflict is increasingly destabilizing neighboring states. According to Chadian authorities, the latest violence followed repeated cross-border incursions tied to Sudan’s warring factions. Government spokesperson Gassim Cherif Mahamat said the closure is aimed at preventing the conflict from spreading further into Chad, protecting civilians and refugees, and preserving the country’s territorial integrity.
A Chadian official told Reuters that fighting broke out on Saturday in Tine, a border town straddling Chad and Sudan, involving Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and militia fighters aligned with Sudan’s army-backed side. In addition to the five soldiers killed, three civilians died and 12 people were injured, the official said. The incident is the latest sign of the regional fallout from Sudan’s civil war, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF. Since then, violence has periodically crossed into eastern Chad, causing casualties and property damage in border communities already under pressure from refugee inflows and insecurity.
The closure comes as Sudan’s war approaches its fourth year in April 2026, with the humanitarian toll continuing to rise. The United Nations has repeatedly described Sudan as one of the world’s gravest humanitarian crises, with mass displacement, widespread hunger and severe disruptions to aid access. AP reporting has also highlighted the strain on eastern Chad, which hosts large numbers of Sudanese refugees fleeing the conflict.
Chad, which shares a long and porous border with Sudan, has been navigating a delicate balance between humanitarian response and national security. The government’s latest decision suggests a tougher posture as border incidents intensify, especially in fragile transit points like Tine. It remains unclear how long the border closure will stay in effect or what impact it may have on cross-border trade and civilian movement, including refugees seeking safety. For now, authorities say the priority is containing the violence and preventing additional loss of life in Chad’s eastern frontier communities.
