A dispute between two families over an eastern Chad water point spiraled into a cycle of reprisals, killing at least 42 people, the country’s deputy prime minister confirmed Sunday.
Limane Mahamat said during a visit to the village of Igote, in the Wadi Fira province, near the border with Sudan, where the clashes occurred Saturday, that 42 people were killed and 10 wounded. He said those injured were evacuated to the provincial health center.
Mahamat said the cycle of reprisals had spread over a fairly large area, prompting an intervention by the army. He said the "swift response” by the military helped contain the clashes and that the situation is now "under control."
The deputy prime minister announced the launch of a "customary mediation" process in the village and of judicial proceedings to determine criminal responsibility.
Intercommunal clashes over resources are common in the Central African country. Last year, clashes between farmers and herders in southwestern Chad left 42 people dead and several homes burned.
