By John Ikani
Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno is at the frontlines of a direct offensive against Boko Haram, in response to a recent assault that left dozens dead.
The presidency announced Deby’s personal command of the mission on Thursday.
The Boko Haram raid, which targeted a military garrison in the Lake Chad area late Sunday into Monday, resulted in approximately 40 casualties, highlighting the persistent security challenges in the region.
“The president of the republic, the supreme commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, is still camped on the edge of Lake Chad where he is personally leading operation ‘Haskanite’,” the presidency shared on social media, alongside a photo of the 40-year-old leader in military attire.
Deby has been meeting with field officers, issuing commands, and coordinating strategic efforts to take decisive action against Boko Haram.
The operation, which involves both ground and air forces, is already underway, with military units deployed to identified target areas, according to additional statements from the presidency.
A senior military official, speaking anonymously, told AFP that a potential Boko Haram hideout had been detected via aerial surveillance.
Prime Minister Abderahim Bireme Hamid confirmed on Wednesday that the attack killed 40 individuals and left 37 others injured.
Hamid stressed the importance of the operation not only in defending citizens but in disrupting Boko Haram’s activities, stating its goal is to “pursue and dismantle” militant capacities within Chad’s borders.
Chad has called on global allies to increase support for counter-terrorism efforts as Lake Chad remains a hotspot for insurgent groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), both of which operate in the lake’s complex network of islands and wetlands.
Since Boko Haram initiated its insurgency in 2009, over 40,000 lives have been lost, and the violence has spread beyond Nigeria into neighboring countries.
In March 2020, Chad’s military suffered one of its heaviest losses when roughly 100 soldiers were killed in an ambush at Bohoma on Lake Chad’s shores.
Mahamat Deby assumed leadership in April 2021 after the death of his father, Idriss Deby Itno, a long-time ruler who frequently led frontline military operations. Mahamat Deby appears to be following in his father’s footsteps, stepping directly into the field to counter security threats.
