Chad

Chad is a large, landlocked Central African state straddling the Sahel and Sahara, bordering six countries including conflict-affected Libya, Sudan, and the Central African Republic, which makes its borders a frequent conduit for refugees, armed groups, and instability. It has long been governed by the Déby family: after the death of longtime president Idriss Déby in 2021, his son Mahamat Déby took power through a military-led transitional council and consolidated his rule following contested 2024 elections, with the National Rally for Democracy as the leading party. Historically aligned with France and a key Western partner in regional counterterrorism, Chad has more recently recalibrated those ties, ending its defense cooperation agreement with France while navigating relations with Sahelian neighbors and Gulf states. News readers should watch internal political opposition, rebel and jihadist threats, and spillover from the Sudan war as the main fault lines.