The authorities in N’Djamena said in a statement on Saturday that a Franco-Australian person had been abducted in eastern Chad, close to the Sudanese border, “by as yet unidentified individuals.”
“The government has mobilised all security and human means to catch the kidnappers,” the authorities said, as reported by AFP.
“This abduction occurred yesterday, in the afternoon of October 28, 2022,” a statement added, without giving details of the abduction.
“We are aware of the kidnapping of one of our citizens in Chad and are in contact with their family, and also with the authorities in Chad, in order to secure their rapid release,” the French foreign ministry told AFP.
The man who was kidnapped was employed by a park run by the wildlife NGO Sahara Conservation Fund. In order to help the endangered scimitar-horned oryx, a fund was established in 2004.
Since his father was killed during an operation against rebels in April 2021, Chad has been governed by a military junta under the leadership of Mahamat Idriss Deby.
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Chad, a semi-desert nation in central-western Africa, has experienced ongoing instability since regaining its independence from France in 1960.
Organized crime and various forms of trafficking have been widespread in the eastern part of the nation, which is near Darfur in western Sudan.
On both sides of the border, there is frequently deadly violence in the area, especially between local communities.
(with inputs from agencies)
