Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno made a bold declaration following the latest assault by the Islamist militant faction Boko Haram. In a Facebook post issued on May 5th, he vowed to intensify military operations until the terrorist threat is completely eliminated. His statement came in response to a deadly attack that unfolded the previous day on a military outpost in Barka Tolorom, situated along the Chadian shoreline of Lake Chad.
Chadian soldiers board a Multinational Joint Task Force boat at a military base in Lake Chad Province on May 6, 2026. Chad declared three days of national mourning after a new attack by Boko Haram jihadists on May 6 that killed two generals in the volatile Lake Chad Basin. Chadian soldiers are frequently targeted by Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, a vast expanse of water and marshland dotted with islands, located between Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, and Chad. (Photo by Joris Bolomey / AFP) 