Chad has issued a forceful response to what it calls a “declaration of war” from Sudan, after a senior Sudanese military leader threatened to target Chadian airports.
The sharp exchange marks a dangerous escalation in tensions between the neighboring nations, already strained by Sudan’s protracted civil war.
The diplomatic rupture followed inflammatory remarks by Sudanese Deputy Army Commander Lt-Gen Yasir al-Atta, who accused the United Arab Emirates of using Chadian airfields to smuggle weapons to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan’s powerful paramilitary opponent.
The Sudanese military has repeatedly alleged Emirati support for the RSF, claims the UAE denies despite findings by UN experts describing the accusations as credible.
Chad’s foreign ministry condemned the general’s threats as reckless, insisting the country remains neutral in Sudan’s conflict while hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees, mostly from the war-ravaged Darfur region.
The statement urged Sudanese leadership to focus on peace talks rather than “foolish threats,” warning that any violation of Chadian territory would be met with a lawful response.
The war of words unfolded alongside fresh RSF battlefield gains in Darfur, where the paramilitary group claimed control of al-Malha, a strategic town on vital supply routes from Chad and Libya.
Local sources describe a dire humanitarian situation, with the RSF imposing a strict lockdown, cutting off escape routes, and leaving critical services in collapse. The town’s hospital has ceased functioning, the main market has been looted, and water supplies have been severed.
Casualty figures remain uncertain due to communication blackouts, but early estimates suggest dozens killed, many of them ethnic Zaghawa merchants targeted for their perceived ties to Sudanese army-aligned militias.
Displaced survivors report taking shelter with nomadic herders or fleeing to nearby villages, where shortages of food and water have created another layer of crisis.
The al-Malha offensive appears part of an RSF strategy to consolidate its Darfur stronghold after recent setbacks in central Sudan, where the national army has retaken key government installations in Khartoum.
While government forces now hold the central bank and intelligence headquarters, RSF fighters remain dug in across parts of the capital, setting the stage for prolonged urban warfare.
Analysts warn the conflict risks hardening into a de facto partition, with the army controlling the north and east while the RSF dominates Darfur and Khartoum’s outskirts.
The involvement of regional powers—with the UAE, Egypt, and others allegedly backing rival factions—has further complicated prospects for peace.
As diplomatic tensions flare between Chad and Sudan, the humanitarian toll continues mounting, with no resolution in sight for one of the world’s most devastating conflicts.
