Chad Closes Border with Sudan Amid Escalating RSF Attacks and Regional Conflict

Chad has closed its border with Sudan to maintain neutrality amid the three-year conflict between Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the regular army. The closure follows RSF attacks near the border, which have killed Chadian soldiers and civilians. While trade and movement are halted, Sudanese refugees can still enter Chad. The UN has accused RSF of war crimes in Darfur, including the capture of Al Fasher, where thousands were killed

Chad has officially closed its border with Sudan in an effort to reinforce its neutrality amid the ongoing and devastating conflict in the region. The Chadian government continues to maintain that it is neutral in the three-year-long battle between Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the country’s regular army. The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and forced more than 12 million people to flee their homes, according to United Nations estimates, with nearly one million of the displaced seeking refuge in Chad.
The Darfur region in western Sudan, which shares a long border with Chad, is now almost entirely under RSF control following the fall of Al Fasher in October. In recent months, RSF forces have carried out multiple operations near the Chad border. On February 21, the paramilitaries claimed to have captured the Sudanese border town of Al Tina, located directly opposite Al Tine on the Chadian side. Since December, these cross-border actions have resulted in the deaths of 15 Chadian soldiers and eight civilians, according to an AFP count, highlighting the risks posed by the conflict spilling into Chad.
In response to these threats, Chad closed the border on February 23. Communications Minister Gassim Cherif Mahamat explained that the measure was designed to prevent “any risk of the conflict spreading” into Chadian territory. He added that Chad “reserved the right to retaliate against any aggression or violation of the inviolability of its territory and its borders.”
While the closure halts general cross-border trade and movement, some special exemptions are being implemented to allow Sudanese civilians to continue seeking refuge in Chad. The desert border, which stretches roughly 1,400 kilometres, is difficult to monitor fully, but the closure allows Chadian authorities to take a firm stance amid growing concerns about RSF activities near its territory. A Chadian diplomat, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, noted that the move allows the country to maintain neutrality, particularly as RSF allies appear to be losing ground militarily in Sudan.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan has drawn international scrutiny. The United Nations human rights office last month accused the RSF of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during the capture of Al Fasher, reporting that some 6,000 people were killed in just three days. These allegations, along with continued attacks near the Chadian border, underscore the regional implications of the Sudanese conflict and the pressures faced by neighboring countries like Chad in balancing humanitarian needs with national security concerns.
Chad’s decision to close the border reflects both the immediate threat of violence crossing into its territory and its broader desire to assert control and maintain neutrality in a conflict that continues to destabilize the region. The government has emphasized that it will continue monitoring developments closely, enforcing border security, and taking defensive measures as needed to protect Chadian citizens while allowing humanitarian access for those fleeing the conflict in Sudan.