The government of Chad is exerting pressure on telecommunications operators SOTEL and Airtel to expedite the rehabilitation of the vital N’Djamena-Mberé fiber optic route, a key infrastructure corridor for the nation’s digital connectivity.
For work to commence, the two companies must revise the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in April 2025, which was later suspended over clauses conflicting with the country’s principles of digital sovereignty.
During a meeting on Thursday, April 5, Boukar Michel, Chad’s Minister of Telecommunications, Digital Economy, and State Digitalisation, issued specific directives. He called on SOTEL to engage in discussions with Airtel to amend the problematic clauses, align the agreement with national strategic interests, and move forward with signing the revised document.
Authorities emphasised that these steps are part of a broader effort to enhance the quality of Chad’s telecommunications network, ensure service continuity, and uphold the principles of digital sovereignty, security, and the public interest.
The N’Djamena-Mberé corridor holds strategic importance because it connects the capital city to the Cameroonian border, serving as the country’s only entry point for international capacity via submarine cables. Under an agreement signed in May 2025, Cameroon committed to rapidly activating the Nana-Mberé segment, among other works, to bolster regional connectivity.
By linking to this network, Chad aims to diversify its connectivity options, which are currently limited to the Kousseri route. Authorities fear that technical disruptions on this route could lead to digital isolation–an event that occurred in October 2024 when Chad experienced over 24 hours of internet outage. Smaller outages have also intermittently affected the country since then.
In addition to Cameroon, Chad is exploring other avenues for digital integration, including the Trans-Saharan Fiber Optic Backbone (TSB) project. This initiative provides access to submarine cables in the Mediterranean and Atlantic through Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Algeria, and Tunisia. Chad has also strengthened relations with Libya and Egypt, with Egypt being the most well-connected African country to submarine cables, offering further prospects for diversifying its digital infrastructure.
