October 2, 2005: The war in Darfur has spilled over into Chad with bloody consequences. It began last week, when a group of Sudanese gunmen raided a Chad cattle herding operation, killing 36 civilians, and making off with the livestock. | "Luke, git yur shooting iron. They got Bessie!" |
The army was alerted, and caught up with the cattle rustlers, killing seven and capturing eight. Two soldiers died in the battle, and five were wounded. The government blamed the violence on the Sudanese Arab tribal militias backed by the Sudanese government. These groups have been allowed to plunder the black African Sudanese tribes freely. The raid into Chad may have been a navigation error, as the Chadian herders on the border often belong to the same ethnic group that lives on the other side, in Sudan.
Chad's own internal disorder has been on very low simmer for the last year. The new oil pumping operation promises some prosperity to Chadians, and the remaining rebels in the north have been bought, or scared, off for the moment. |