An act of vandalism recently targeted part of the fiber optic backbone along the Massakory-Ngouri axis in Chad, leading to significant concern from government officials. On November 19, 2025, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Telecommunications, Digital Economy, and Digitalization, Hissein Brahim Abdelkerim, along with the Inspector General Kemkil Adangran Benoit and the National Coordinator of the DTS project, Ahmat Badawi Hamit, visited the site to assess the damage. The attack occurred approximately 18 kilometers from Massakory, where perpetrators cut the fiber optic cable but did not steal any equipment, such as the junction box, leaving authorities puzzled about the intent behind the act.
This is the second time in a week that such vandalism has occurred, with a similar incident reported on November 12, 2025. The damage has raised concerns within the company responsible for the fiber optic works, which has now filed a complaint and requested further investigation into the situation. Despite no tangible losses, the recurring attacks have prompted serious action, with an investigation underway to determine the perpetrators motivations.
The fiber optic line is part of the Trans-Saharan Dorsal with Fiber Optic DTS project, a large-scale initiative funded by the European Union to the tune of 28.9 million. The project aims to create a 509 km backbone connecting Chad to several neighboring countries, including Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Algeria, and Tunisia, with an additional 50 km inside NDjamena. The DTS project, which commenced in February 2024, is currently 52 complete but has experienced a temporary halt due to the demobilization of the control mission.
