Chadian soldiers board a Multinational Joint Task Force boat at a military base in Lake Chad Province on May 6, 2026. Chad declared three days of national mourning after a new attack by Boko Haram jihadists on May 6 that killed two generals in the volatile Lake Chad Basin. Chadian soldiers are frequently targeted by Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, a vast expanse of water and marshland dotted with islands, located between Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, and Chad. (Photo by Joris Bolomey / AFP)
The President of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, had made it clear in no uncertain terms: “We will continue this fight with renewed determination until this threat is completely eradicated”, he declared on Facebook on May 5th. His statement followed a deadly assault by an armed Islamist faction linked to Boko Haram on the Barka Tolorom military base, situated on the Chadian side of Lake Chad. The attack resulted in 24 fatalities among Chadian soldiers.
