Chad
Chad has suffered from chronic instability and protracted conflict since gaining independence in 1960. This situation is the result of both domestic political turmoil and the country’s geographical proximity to active conflict zones in the region, where non-state armed groups are active (Libya, Sudan and Niger).1 Chad is a member of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which became operational in 2015 and supports the Nigerian government in the fight against Boko Haram.2 Reports state that armed violence and human rights violations continue to occur.3 Due to this instability, Chad has moderate levels of weapons and ammunition trafficking,4 as well as high levels of landmine and unexploded ordnance contamination.5
The African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); the Regional Centre on Small Arms in the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa and Bordering States (RECSA); the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA); the UN Department of Peace Operations (DPO); the Sub-Regional Arms Control Mechanism (SARCOM); the Mines Advisory Group (MAG); and the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC) are working on the ground to support the through-life management of ammunition, in collaboration with the Chadian Ministry of Defence. Efforts have included destroying obsolete ammunition, building ammunition storage facilities, training Chadian police forces in physical security and stockpile management, carrying out studies on weapons and ammunition management dynamics in the region, and organising regional train-the-trainer programmes.6
1 “Getting Chad's Transition on Track,” Crisis Group, September 30, 2021, https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/central-africa/chad/getting-chads-transition-track.
2 "Chad," Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts Project (RULAC), Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, updated August 18, 2022, https://www.rulac.org/browse/countries/chad#collapse1accord.
3 “World Report 2022: Chad Events of 2021,” Human Rights Watch, accessed July 14, 2022, https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/chad.
4 Philip Alpers, Marcus Wilson and Amélie Rossetti, Chad – Gun Facts, Figures and the Law (GunPolicy.org, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, 2022), https://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/chad.
5 “Chad: 30,000 Sq. Meters Cleared of Landmines,” Handicap International, March 11, 2019, https://reliefweb.int/report/chad/chad-30000-sq-meters-cleared-landmines.
6 “Ammunition Management Activity Platform (A-MAP),” GICHD, 2022, https://a-map.gichd.org.
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Further information
Accidental explosions
Since the Small Arms Survey began collecting data in 1979, one accidental explosion has been reported in Chad.
Table 1. Accidental explosions in Chad (1979–2021)
Year | Location | Owner/manager | Deaths | Injuries |
2011 | N’Djamena | State (military) | 0 | 0 |
Source: “Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites (UEMS) Database,” Small Arms Survey, updated December 15, 2021, https://smallarmssurvey.org/database/unplanned-explosions-munitions-sites-uems.
Cases of diversion
Several cases of diversion have been reported since 2018 in Chad.
Table 2. Cases of diversion of arms, ammunition and explosives in Chad since 2018
Year | Location | Description |
2020 | Mamdi | Up to 50 weapons, 10,000 rounds of ammunition and 4 armoured cars were stolen from an army patrol. |
2020 | Kaya | Up to 100 weapons, 100,000 rounds of ammunition and 10 armoured cars were stolen from an army patrol. |
2019 | Kaya | Up to 50 weapons, 10,000 rounds of ammunition and 4 armoured cars were stolen from an army patrol. |
2018 | Fouli | Up to 100 weapons, 100,000 rounds of ammunition and 10 armoured cars were stolen from an army patrol. |
Source: "Lake Chad Basin Region: Security Sector Stockpiles Loss," International Peace Information Service S4 Interactive Webmap, 2021, https://ipisresearch.be/mapping/webmapping/s4/#13.540226018970586/12.29362910650616/5.99985819996203/4/1/.
Disposal
To decrease the above-mentioned risks of accidental explosions and diversion, Chad has continuously disposed of its ammunition since 2018.
Table 3. Disposal of tonnes of ammunition in Chad (2018–21)
Year | Tonnes of ammunition |
2018 | 5.4 |
2019 | 7.6 |
2020 | 5 |
2021 | 6 |
Sources: “Boom! 6 Tons of Ammunition Destroyed in N'Djamena, #Chad,” MAG, Facebook, December 15, 2018, https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=526199351221494; Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, US Department of State, To Walk the Earth in Safety, reports published from 2019 to 2022 (Washington, DC: US Department of State).
Needs
No needs have been reported for Chad.
Source: Chad, National Report on the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PoA) and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI) (New York: Permanent Mission of Chad to the UN, 2003), https://smallarms.un-arm.org.
