Chad Blocks Desert Routes Used By Sudanese Armed Groups

Khartoum, August 31, 2026 - Chad stepped up military deployments along the Sudan border and blocked desert routes used to move weapons and fighters, tightening a frontier that has become increasingly linked to Sudan's conflict.

The measures followed the interception of military vehicles belonging to the Sudanese Joint Force after they crossed the frontier. Tensions had already risen after Chad's military general staff said on August 23 that suspected Sudanese military or allied drones struck a convoy inside Chad's eastern Ennedi-Est region, more than 100 kilometres from the border.

Chadian troops conducted desert security sweeps, set up temporary outposts near the frontier, impounded armed vehicles and seized weapons from Sudanese fighters who had crossed into Chad. Authorities in eastern Chad also conducted searches in Sudanese refugee camps after allegations that some individuals had participated in combat inside Sudan before returning across the border.

The tighter border posture could disrupt supply lines, restrict fighter movement and increase diplomatic friction between Sudan and Chad at a time when cross-border logistics remain a strategic factor in the war.