UN chief slams suicide bomb attack in N'Djamena, Chad

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Sunday strongly condemned the suicide bombing that targeted the central market in N'Djamena, Chad's capital.

A suicide bomb attack on Saturday killed 16 people and injured 80 others in N'Djamena. Local officials said the suicide bomber dressed as a woman wearing a burqa detonated the explosives when the police tried to arrest him at the southern entrance of the central market in N'Djamena.

"This brutal attack against civilians during the month of Ramadan serves as a reminder to all of us that the scourge of terrorism knows no bounds," said a statement released by Ban's spokesperson.

Ban also reiterated the importance of further collaboration among countries of the region to more effectively combat terrorism in line with international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law.

On June 15, two suicide bomb attacks took place in N'Djamena, leaving 38 people killed and more than 100 others injured. The Chadian government blamed that Boko Haram, a Nigerian militant group, was behind these attacks.

Chad has sent troops to neighboring Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger to work with these countries to fight against Boko Haram, which has become a major security threat in Nigeria since 2009.

The Islamic militant group seeks to enshrine the Islamic Sharia law in the constitution of Nigeria, while posing threats to regional security among Lake Chad Basin countries. Endite