Chadian authorities have reportedly detained security personnel accused of collaborating with members of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) to support attacks on defensive sites in Baggara, Lac Province.
These arrests, part of an operation called Haskinate, were revealed through a set of interrogation videos obtained on November 15, 2024.
The footage shows the suspects, including one individual from the Guran ethnic group, which has historically opposed the late President Idriss Déby and his Zaghawa-led administration.
The Guran, previously allied with the late Hissène Habré, have long been at odds with the Zaghawa, the ethnic group currently represented by President Mahamat Idriss Déby.
During questioning, one detainee allegedly declared allegiance to Boko Haram and endorsed jihadist ideology.
He reportedly criticized the Zaghawa-led government for, in his view, failing to follow the Quran properly and expressed a desire for “Shahada” (martyrdom).
Additionally, he claimed that “power belongs to Allah and Muslims” and dismissed the role of the Sara ethnic group, which is primarily Christian, in Chadian society.
The suspect also referenced a global network of jihadist supporters, citing countries such as Saudi Arabia, Palestine, and Chad, and called on Chadian Muslims to stand against those he termed “unbelievers.”
Although he clarified that his intent was not to wage outright war, he advocated for “fighting” in a religious sense.
Troops involved in Operation Haskinate assured the detainee he would not face execution, despite his challenges to the state’s authority.
These arrests come amid rising concerns over insurgent activities and suspected infiltration of militant sympathizers within Chad’s security forces, particularly in Lac Province, a region vulnerable to cross-border militant activity and internal instability.
