Chad water clashes kill at least 7, local sources say

Fighting between rival ethnic groups over access to water in central Chad killed at least seven people and wounded 22 others on Friday, local sources told AFP.

A local administrator, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Kreda attacked Isne, a village of the Kuka community, killing seven people and burning several villages.

A local deputy said the conflict began after a Kreda herder tried to water livestock at a pond in an area dominated by the Kuka. The deputy said a Kreda person then shot a Kuka person in the foot, setting off a gunfight, and that 22 injured people were taken to hospital in Ngoura.

Another local official contacted by AFP said security forces intervened to calm the situation.

Chad is frequently affected by deadly intercommunal clashes over water, land and livestock. The United Nations considers Chad among the African countries most vulnerable to climate change.