At least 42 people have been killed and 10 others injured following violent clashes between rival ethnic groups in eastern Chad, authorities confirmed on Sunday.

The fighting in Wadi Fira province reportedly started as a disagreement over access to a water well but escalated into widespread violence.

Officials said what began as a dispute between two families spiralled into retaliatory attacks across several communities, leaving villages burned and casualties rising. Authorities have since deployed a delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Limane Mahamat to the area, stating that the situation has been brought under control.

Communal clashes remain frequent in Chad, where tensions between farmers and herders often erupt over limited water sources and grazing land. The latest violence comes amid increased strain from refugees fleeing conflict in neighbouring Sudan.

Authorities said measures are being taken to prevent the crisis from spreading across borders as regional insecurity deepens. Similar incidents have occurred in the past, including a November clash in Dibebe in the south-west where 33 people were killed over a well dispute.

According to the International Crisis Group, more than 1,000 people were killed and 2,000 injured in about 100 communal clashes in Chad between 2021 and 2024. Meanwhile, Amnesty International documented seven herder-farmer conflicts between 2022 and 2024 that led to 98 deaths, linking the violence to climate pressures and weak law enforcement.

Amnesty also warned that delayed security responses and lack of accountability have increased vulnerability in affected communities, contributing to recurring cycles of violence.