Flights and travel guide to Chad

Chad (French: Tchad) is a country in Saharan Africa, south of Libya, east of Niger and Cameroon, north of the Central African Republic, and west of Sudan. It shares a short border with Nigeria.

Part of France’s African holdings until 1960, Chad endured three decades of civil warfare as well as invasions by Libya before a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. The government eventually drafted a democratic constitution, and held flawed presidential elections in 1996 and 2001. In 1998, a rebellion broke out in northern Chad, which sporadically flares up despite several peace agreements between the government and the rebels. In 2005 new rebel groups emerged in western Sudan and have made probing attacks into eastern Chad. Power remains in the hands of an ethnic minority. In June 2005, President Idriss Deby held a referendum successfully removing constitutional term limits. In February 2008, an attempted coup rocked the capital.

Landscape

Broad, arid plains in center, desert in north, mountains in northwest, lowlands in south. Lowest point: Djourab Depression (160 meters). Highest point: Emi Koussi (3,415 meters).

Visa

Citizens of the following countries do not require a visa: Benin, Burkina-Faso, Cameroun, Republic of Central Africa, Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. For all others, a visa is necessary. A single-entry visa costs US$100 for 1 month and multiple-entry visas cost US$150 (3 months) or US$200 (6 months). A letter of invitation is required.

By plane

There are plenty of airlines offering flights to Chad from major UK airports including London Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester, Aberdeen, Belfast, Glasgow, Cardiff, New Castle, London Gatwick. Air France has daily flights from Paris to N’Djaména. Air Ethiopia also flies four times a week between N’Djamena and its hub in Addis Ababa, with one of those flights continuing to/from Bamako, Mali. Toumai Air Tchad also flies to a limited number of West and Central African destinations such as Cotonou, Bangui and Douala. The Libyan airlines Afriqiyah Airways also operates flights to N’Djamena that connect through Tripoli.

The main languages of Chad are French and Arabic. Few Chadians other than the educated and well-traveled speak literary Arabic, however; a dialect of Arabic known as "Chadian Arabic" is much more widely spoken and is the closest thing the country has to a trade language. Chadian Arabic is significantly different from the standard Arabic of North Africa and the Middle East. Literary Arabic speakers can typically understand Chadian Arabic but the reverse is not true. There are over one hundred indigenous languages also spoken.

Chad is consistently engulfed in political turmoil and attacks from rebels will probably not happen, but are certainly a reality. Violence from the Darfur conflict is pouring into Eastern Chad from Sudan, a country which shares hostilities with Chad. Any activity outside of N’Djamena is done with difficulty at best. Northern Chad is barren, scorching desert and guides (good luck) and meticulous planning are required to say the very least. The best way to stay safe in Chad is to avoid it for the time being.

Don’t accept water from any stores unless you know the brand. Eat only your own food that you buy in grocery stores. Avoid restaurants whenever possible. Stay away from people that look sick, there are many diseases in chad to beware of. Go to a doctor once a month if you can afford it.

There are 200 distinct ethnic groups. In the north and center: Arabs, Gorane (Toubou, Daza, Kreda), Zaghawa, Kanembou, Ouaddai, Baguirmi, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Hausa, Boulala, and Maba, most of whom are Muslim; in the south: Sara (Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye), Moundang, Moussei, Massa, most of whom are Christian or animist; about 1,000 French citizens live in Chad. The Chadian-Libyan conflict is something to be avoided at all times; Chadians known to be living in Libya have been tortured & murdered on previous occasions.

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