Chad: 262 foreign nationals arrested in N’Djamena July 9

Event

On Sunday, July 9, police forces in N’Djamena arrested 262 foreign nationals - including Senegalese, Cameroonian, Central African, Nigerian, and Burkinabe nationals - in an identity check operation carried out to ensure all foreigners are registered at their respective embassies or consulates. . These operations, which have become common, are part of a wider anti-terrorism effort. On Sunday evening, nearly half of the foreigners were able to provide proper ID documents and were reportedly released, while the others remained in custody.

Context

Various preventive actions have been undertaken in the past few years to reduce the terrorist threat. The police have been conducting identity check operations on a regular basis.

Advice

Individuals present in Chad are advised to always carry  ID documents and to follow any instructions issued by local authorities.

On a more general note, due to the high terrorist threat, report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities and remain vigilant at all times, especially when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted in an attack (e.g., public transportation, train stations, airports, public or government buildings, embassies or consulates, international organizations, schools and universities, religious sites, markets, hotels and restaurants frequented by foreigners/Westerners, festivals, etc.). For these and other security reasons, many Western governments advise against all travel to areas near the borders with Niger, Libya, Sudan, Central African Republic, Cameroon, and Nigeria, and the Lake Chad region, as well as nonessential travel to the rest of the country, including N'Djamena. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel to or within the country