Lake Chad used by rebel groups for refuge

A zoom today on Lake Chad. Around this huge water body, straddles around four countries - Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria – with a population of two million.

The Lake is rich in fish and also offers in times of recession, huge areas of culture. But it dried up since the 1950s. Finally, with its islands, Lake Chad serves as refuge to some Boko Haram fighters, who have multiplied in recent months and attack the region.

What is the future like for the Lake and its residents? Géraud Magrin, Professor of geography at the University of Paris 1, responds to Marie-Pierre Olphand. He is one of the coordinators of the Atlas of Lake Chad, developed after collective work by 46 European scientists and African editions Passages.

"If we consider the immediate news, there was fighting on the Lake Chad. There are villages, and in particular one of the large Nigerian shores fishing villages, the village of Bagakawa, which was attacked and burned by Boko Haram with thousands reported dead. Therefore, there have been war activities on Lake Chad. What is important to understand is that the Lake Chad has become a war zone but that is not the epicenter of the Boko Haram phenomenon. This Boko Haram phenomenon was born elsewhere, in Borno, mainly in Maiduguri and spread to other areas of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria. Lake Chad ultimately was won by this insecurity later.

What is important to know also is that, Lake Chad has a space that has often been used by rebel groups to seek refuge since it is a space with a very peculiar environment where you can easily camouflage. There are numerous island and wetland areas.

In the long history, it was a medium of retreat for people who refused to be subjected to surrounding kingdoms and these people practiced raids on their shores. This has made the shores of Lake Chad, until the 19th century, an area of strong insecurity.