ENTREPRENEURS OF INSECURITY

Kidnapping for ransom (KFR) in Chad has evolved from sporadic rural banditry into a structured, transnational criminal economy, particularly concentrated in the 'Triangle of Death' border region between Chad, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic. The report identifies a professionalized hierarchy of actors, including 'godfathers', perpetrators, and community enablers, who exploit state fragility, porous borders, and economic marginalization. While the state relies on fragmented military responses, the report argues that KFR is sustained by a complex interplay of conflict economies, including artisanal gold mining and insurgent activities by groups like ISWAP and Boko Haram. The consequences include mass displacement, eroded trust in state institutions, and generational trauma, necessitating a multi-sectoral strategy that combines security reform with community engagement and legal updates.

• KFR in Chad has transitioned from opportunistic roadside banditry in the 1990s to a professionalized, transnational criminal enterprise. In the southwest, specifically Mayo-Kebbi Ouest and Est, at least 1,500 abductions have been recorded over the last 20 years.
• The KFR operational structure consists of three layers: 'godfathers' or sponsors who provide instructions, perpetrators (including ex-soldiers and marginalized pastoralists), and accomplices such as traditional rulers and taxi drivers who act as informants.
• Perpetrators target 'pockets of solvency', specifically pastoralists, transhumant traders, and gold collectors. In northern Chad, the gold rush in Tibesti has made local and foreign miners from Sudan and Niger primary targets.
• KFR is intertwined with other forms of abduction, including political kidnappings by state security personnel, cultural abductions for social control, and exploitative kidnappings by terror groups like JAS and ISWAP for sexual slavery or recruitment.
• The Chadian state's response is characterized as fragmented and overly militarized, often ignoring the root socio-economic causes. This has led to a decline in public trust and a 'double taxation' effect where citizens pay both ransoms and fees to security actors for food and fuel.
• Regional security cooperation is hindered by inter-state tensions and a lack of coordinated frameworks. While the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) focuses on terrorism, there is no dedicated collective force specifically targeting KFR in the affected borderlands.
• Women's roles in KFR are complex; while often viewed as victims, evidence suggests they also act as perpetrators, providing logistics, surveillance, and gun running, or as enablers within a 'sexual economy' used by kidnappers to gain intelligence.
• The economic impact of KFR includes the forced sale of assets to pay ransoms, which leads to rising poverty and generational deprivation. It also disrupts essential services as civil servants, such as teachers and doctors, refuse to relocate to high-risk areas.

APA

Ajayi, T. F. (2026). ENTREPRENEURS OF INSECURITY. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1779348294119-20260519-CAR-Chad-Cameroon-kidnapping-CAO.report.pdf

Chicago

Ajayi, Titilope F. ENTREPRENEURS OF INSECURITY. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1779348294119-20260519-CAR-Chad-Cameroon-kidnapping-CAO.report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ajayi |first1=Titilope F |title=ENTREPRENEURS OF INSECURITY |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=May 2026 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1779348294119-20260519-CAR-Chad-Cameroon-kidnapping-CAO.report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ajayi2026entrepreneurs, author = {Ajayi, Titilope F}, title = {{ENTREPRENEURS OF INSECURITY}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1779348294119-20260519-CAR-Chad-Cameroon-kidnapping-CAO.report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }