A violent land dispute in southern Chad has left eight people dead after a confrontation between farmers and herders turned deadly in the Baké sub-prefecture of Logone Oriental province.
The tragedy began on 21 September when a herd of cattle belonging to a non-native herder destroyed a field cultivated by a local farmer.
The dispute over the damage quickly spiralled out of control, triggering a violent clash between the two sides.
According to local reports, the farmer who owned the damaged field was killed on the spot by the herdsman, who was himself seriously injured during the altercation. In an act of retaliation, villagers attacked and killed three herders shortly afterwards.
Tensions deepened further the following afternoon, on 22 September, when four more bodies — including those of three children and a woman — were discovered in the herders’ camp. Witnesses described the scene as “gruesome” and said the discovery inflamed anger in the already volatile region.
Authorities responded swiftly in an attempt to prevent further bloodshed. Toké Dady, the Governor of Logone Oriental province, personally visited the area to help defuse tensions and restore order. The bodies of the victims were handed over to their families and buried later that evening at around 10 p.m., according to a journalist present at the scene.
Judicial authorities have since arrested four individuals in connection with the incident as investigations continue.
While the situation has calmed, local sources say the events have left deep scars in the community, highlighting long-standing tensions between farming and herding communities in the region — disputes that frequently escalate into violence during the harvest season.
Officials are now urging dialogue and stronger conflict-resolution measures to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
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