In a devastating incident, a Chadian military airstrike has reportedly killed numerous Nigerian fishermen, prompting calls for investigation and justice. Discover the latest details and implications.
Chad’s military has been accused of killing “scores” of fishermen in Nigeria during an operation targeting jihadists. This follows a recent Boko Haram attack that led to 40 deaths at a Chadian military base, as reported by local fishermen and anti-jihadist militia sources speaking to AFP on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the Chadian army carried out an airstrike on Tilma Island in Nigeria’s Kukawa district of Lake Chad while fishermen were going about their daily routines. Reports suggest that several fishermen were killed during the assault.
Babakura Kolo, a leader of an anti-jihadist militia, reported that “a Chadian military fighter jet attacked fishermen on Tilma island, resulting in the deaths of many.” He explained that “the jet mistakenly identified the fishermen as Boko Haram terrorists who had launched an attack on a military base inside Chad on Sunday.”
A staff officer from Chad’s military, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to AFP that airstrikes “were conducted on islands situated at the borders between Nigeria and Niger.”
“Boko Haram militants frequently mix with fishermen and farmers after carrying out their crimes, making it challenging to differentiate between ordinary citizens and the terrorists,” explained the officer.
Sunday’s Boko Haram raid resulted in approximately 40 fatalities and numerous injuries. The group later claimed responsibility for the attack through a propaganda video released on Monday. In response, Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby pledged to “pursue and track down the attackers to their last entrenchment,” as stated by the military.
According to Ibrahim Liman, a member of another anti-jihadist militia, most of the fishermen affected by the aerial attack were reportedly from Baga, Doron-Baga, and Duguri on Lake Chad’s shores.
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“The fighter jet circled over Tilma, then started releasing bombs as people scattered in all directions seeking cover,” recounted fisherman Sallau Arzika, who survived the attack and made his way back to Monguno. “Many fishermen were killed; it’s impossible to provide an exact count since bodies remain strewn across Tilma,” he added. Some of the dead and wounded were taken to a military base at Mile 4 near Baga.”
Labo Sani, a fisherman from Doron-Baga, reported that an airstrike killed two of his friends and left another critically injured. “We were just fishing and never imagined being attacked by a fighter jet,” Sani lamented.
Chad’s military launched Operation Haskanite on Monday, with the goal of “not only securing our peaceful population” but also to “pursue, eliminate, and eradicate the disruptive capacity of Boko Haram and its affiliates,” interim Prime Minister Abderahim Bireme Hamid announced at a press briefing in N’Djamena.
President Deby is directly overseeing the operation, as announced by the presidency on social media. He has been “holding multiple meetings with troops, instructing and directing them” to ensure Boko Haram stands “no chance.”
Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah, highlighting the need for increased international backing of counter-terrorism efforts in the region, issued a statement on Wednesday. The Lake Chad area, known for its expansive waters and swamps, provides refuge to jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and its offshoot ISWAP (Islamic State in West Africa), which frequently attack military forces and local civilians.
Since the onset of its insurgency in Nigeria in 2009, Boko Haram has caused more than 40,000 deaths and displaced two million people. Its influence has also extended to neighboring countries.
