Water, one adage says, is life, but would that justify losing a whole of 42 lives when two families contest for water?
Well, that is the question that begs for answer in the case of the family feud that has also left several people wounded.
Spot of incident is Igote village in Wadi Fira province, near the Sudanese border in eastern Chad, where no fewer than 42 people have been killed there in the fight over water.
This is even as the Deputy Prime Minister, Limane Mahamat, has visited the spot of dispute.
Mahamat said 10 other persons sustained injuries and were evacuated to a provincial health centre for treatment.
Agency report quotes him as saying that the conflict quickly spread across surrounding communities as retaliatory attacks intensified, prompting military intervention.
He stated that a “swift response” by security forces helped contain the violence, adding that the situation is now “under control”.
The deputy prime minister further revealed that authorities have initiated “a customary mediation process” in the affected village, while judicial proceedings have been opened to determine criminal responsibility.
In the midst of the water scarcity, as this picture by Medicine Without Borders shows, tensions are common
The report informs that intercommunal clashes over land and water resources are frequent in Chad, particularly between farming and herding communities.
Similar violence recorded in the southwest last year left dozens dead and several homes destroyed.
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Mahamat assured that the government would take “all necessary measures” to forestall further instability in the eastern border region.
The latest fight over water that has resulted in the loss of lives and injuries to others, comes amid increasing pressure on Chad from the ongoing conflict in neighbouring Sudan.
Eastern provinces of Chad have received hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the conflict, worsening pressure on already scarce resources such as water and arable land.
In February, Chad shut its border with Sudan “until further notice”, citing security concerns, including the movement of armed fighters and the risk of the conflict spilling into its territory.
Cami Ezenwa is a writer, editor and concepts developer. He has worked with the Daily Times, Daily Independent, Financial Standard and Business Television, to mention a few.
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