Chad: Diverse and Resilient Crossroads of the Sahel
The Sahel, July 2025
La Place de la Nation, N’Djamena
Chad is the last of the four countries we are visiting in the Sahel, one often overshadowed by the others. The one you are most likely not to have heard about.
Like the other three, Chad remains a complex destination with many areas restricted for travellers due to security issues, though it’s safer than the others. Or at least, the travel advisories are a little less severe. I ask ChatGPT to compare the risk of terrorism in the four, and it matches what I already know:
- Burkina Faso: very high risk, amongst the worst affected in the world – multiple jihadist insurgencies, weak government control, cross-border spillover with Mali and Niger.
- Mali: also very high risk – long‐standing jihadist groups (e.g. JNIM, ISGS), especially in the north and central regions; large ungoverned spaces; political instability, coups, challenging terrain.
- Niger: high and rising – key tri-border areas (with Mali & Burkina Faso) are flashpoints; IS and Al‑Qaeda affiliates active; military vulnerable; recent high‐casualty attacks.
- Chad: moderate to high, but more localised – some jihadist spillover from neighbouring countries; parts of the Lake Chad area face Boko Haram/ISWAP threats; however, Chad has stronger military capacity and sometimes more stable control in some areas.
Odd then, that the safest of them (relatively speaking) is the one I find the hardest to deal with, at least initially. I don’t know exactly why, but Chad makes me a little aggressive. Perhaps it’s because it’s the last country on the trip, and I’m a feeling a bit drained.
That aside, let’s get on with it. But first, a digression:
Why
am I going to these high-risk areas in the first place? It’s a fair question. I look at it this way: If you did a comparative global risk study before 22 July 2011, I’m willing to bet a tiny island in the middle of a lake in Norway would have an extremely low risk; in fact, it would probably be considered one of the safest places in the world. I think it’s a matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time; unpredictable. And whilst I will take all reasonable precautions, I will not let fear run my life.
Chad has a mix of peoples, languages, and traditions that coexist relatively peacefully amidst difficult circumstances. Despite challenges like environmental changes and political instability, there is community spirit here.
I mentioned a diverse and resilient crossroads – that refers specifically to the capital city. N’Djamena is a bit of a hub, both for business and cultural mixing, as it is located near the borders of both Cameroon and Nigeria. In fact, N’Djamena and Kousséri in Cameroon are just across the Logone River from one another. Just a bridge away.
N’Djamena: Place of Rest
I think Ouagadougou wins the title of the coolest name for a capital, but N’Djamena is right up there. The French founded the city on the confluence of the Chari and the Longone rivers 125 years ago, and called it Fort-Lamy, after some French military person or other. No reason to hang on to a colonial name, so it was changed to N’Djamena, after a village nearby called Nijamina in Arabic, meaning Place of Rest. Good name for a capital, I think. Here’s a catchy tune by Cameroonian singer André-Marie Tala, about going to N’Djamena someday.
Things to see and do in N’Djamena
Like the other three capitals we have visited in the Sahel, N’Djamena is not exactly awash with tourist attractions, that is not really what this journey is about. But here are a few landmarks:
La Place de la Nation
The large public square known as La Place de la Nation was built in 2010, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Chad’s independence, and is all about national unity. As you would expect, there are frequent official ceremonies here. It is also an informal and lively meeting place for locals – and now us.
The design of this square is quite striking, with lots of open space, and government buildings all around. I like it. There’s room to manoeuvre, it’s an easy place to breathe. Can’t say that about every African capital.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de la Paix
Christianity – Catholicism specifically – is the second largest religion in Chad, and especially significant here in the southern part of the country. Our guide is proud to show us Our Lady of Peace Cathedral, built in 1965, destroyed during the Civil War in 1980, and restored in 2013.
It’s a nice structure. I especially like the interior, no gold or riches on display, just plain, unpretentious simplicity. The only decoration is the beautiful stained-glass windows.
Mary seems to play the lead here.
Musee National N’Djamena (MoMAA)
My favourite spot in N’Djamena is the National Museum, particularly the section tracking the evolution of humanity.
Until recently, we have thought Lucy & co that roamed the Great Rift Valley in East Africa 3.2 million years ago, have been our earliest human ancestors. But the discovery of Toumaï (Sahelanthropus tchadensis) in Chad in 2001, suggests we have been around even longer than that.
Toumaï is one of the oldest known species in the human lineage. The fossil skull – probably male – is estimated to be about 7 million years old, and shows a mix of human- and ape-like features: small brain size and prominent brow ridges. But also evidence that he might have walked upright, a key trait of, well, us.
Most scientists estimate that we split from a common ancestor about 6 or 7 million years ago, and formed two groups – chimpanzees and humans. That means Toumaï might have been a transitional one. This is exciting stuff!
Our first ancestor?
Darwin was right
In each great region of the world the living mammals are closely related to the extinct species of the same region. It is therefore probable that Africa was formerly inhabited by extinct apes closely allied to the gorilla and chimpanzee; and as these two species are now man’s nearest allies, it is somewhat more probable that our early progenitors lived on the African continent than elsewhere.
The Descent of Man
Modern science fully supports what Charlie said already in 1871.
Sites in Africa where remains of ancient humans have been discovered
Conclusion: we are all African – and outside Africa, we are all migrants
Gaoui
Time for a little excursion out of town, but not far. About 12 km from N’Djamena is the historic village Gaoui, where we can get a glimpse of Chadian cultural heritage.
Once capital of the Sao civilisation, Gaoui is famous for its traditional mud-brick architecture and colourful pottery.
And who were the Sao? A highly advanced culture that had its heyday between the 6th century BCE and the 16th century CE. More than two millennia!
They had sophisticated bronze, iron and pottery working skills, and have left behind some impressive works – tools, sculptures, and artefacts we see in the Royal Palace.
Legend has it, they also had complex trade and social networks, and they are considered one of the earliest and most influential civilisations in Central Africa.
Au nom de l’art
On the outskirts of N’Djamena, is a project with a focus on recyclable art.
Nomads
Near the new, Chinese-financed Mandjafa Stadium, we stop for a chat with Arab nomad families camping with their animals during a seasonal migration.
Along the river
Back in N’Djamena, a walk along the Chari River is a nice finale to these days in Chad.
Favourite eats
In N’Djamena, we have dinner at Restaurant Layalina and enjoy it so much, we come back the next evening.
Curious fact: This might be interesting only to Norwegians, but… I spotted innumerable cars with logos of Norwegian companies and organisations, including Lista Røde Kors (a Red Cross local chapter in southern Norway), and many, many Toyota vans from Skog og Fritid AS, a Norwegian forestry company.
Apparently, these are used cars that have been exported to Chad and gotten a new lease on life in N’Djamena. The new owners have not removed the original markings, but they have added a picture (religious ?) and the word Salam in the window, typical of local minibus culture in Western- and Central Africa.
Reflections on Chad
As time in Chad moves on, I become a little less aggressive, and realise I want to come back and see more of the country. Three days is probably enough for N’Djamena, but not near enough for Chad. Fellow travellers rave about the enigmatic and beautiful Ennedi massif up in the north-east, near the border with Sudan, so that is on my list for calmer times.
Summing up the Sahel
Safety first
The Sahel is a region with ongoing security challenges, including armed conflicts, kidnappings, and political unrest, that vary significantly by country and region, see comparison above. This means travelling here requires careful planning, situational awareness, and local connections. We have avoided high-risk areas, i.e. borders and northern areas. We have kept a low profile, and used our common sense. Military presence is high, and checkpoints are common. Recent experience have taught me not to be argumentative (counterintuitive as that is) and cooperate respectfully. I always carry my passport.
Above all, I would not travel without a local guide who knows the terrain and the current situation.
The Sahel’s enduring spirit
I leave the Sahel with a strong realisation that this region is far more than its challenges. There are stories here. Stories of survival and courage. Of endurance and unyielding hope.
If you choose to visit, do so with your eyes open and your plans flexible.
This journey through the Sahel has covered Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad.