The African Union has warned against the Sudan war spilling across international borders after reported airstrikes struck deep inside Chad, days after the Chadian military accused Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) of carrying out the attack.
African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said on Wednesday that the bloc was following with concern reports of airstrikes carried out on August 20 in Chad’s eastern Ennedi-Est region in connection with the conflict in neighbouring Sudan.
The AU reaffirmed its commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states and stressed the inviolability of international borders.
Youssouf called on all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint and avoid actions that could increase tensions between neighbouring countries.
He also urged regional governments to strengthen dialogue and border cooperation to prevent further cross-border incidents and reduce the risk of the Sudan war developing into a wider regional confrontation.
The statement marks a significant diplomatic response to an incident that has sharply increased tensions between N’Djamena and Sudan’s military authorities.
Chad’s armed forces said earlier that aircraft and drones linked to SAF or allied groups pursued and attacked a convoy in Ennedi-Est, more than 100 kilometres inside Chadian territory.
General Alchanan Issakha Acheikh, director of military information for the Chadian army, said preliminary information indicated that Sudanese aircraft and drones were responsible.
Chad subsequently placed its forces on heightened alert and warned Sudan’s warring parties against violating its territory, saying it reserved the right to defend the country’s sovereignty.
Sudan’s army has not publicly accepted responsibility for the reported strike.
The incident comes amid growing tension between the SAF leadership and Chad. Sudanese military officials have repeatedly accused N’Djamena of facilitating weapons supplies to the Rapid Support Forces through Chadian territory, allegations denied by both Chad and the United Arab Emirates.
Reports of the August 20 strike emerged alongside intensified Sudanese military air operations targeting suspected RSF supply routes and movements close to the Chad-Sudan frontier.
The African Union stopped short of assigning responsibility for the attack, referring only to airstrikes linked to Sudan’s conflict.
However, its intervention underscores mounting concern that Sudan’s more than three-year war could increasingly affect neighbouring states.
Youssouf said the AU Commission was ready to support initiatives aimed at de-escalating tensions, preventing further incidents and safeguarding regional stability.
Chad has absorbed hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees since fighting erupted between SAF and the RSF in April 2023, particularly from neighbouring Darfur.
Any sustained military confrontation across the Chad-Sudan frontier would risk opening another dimension to a conflict already involving extensive cross-border weapons flows, refugee movements and regional political rivalries.
