Heatwaves test support for juntas in Chad and Mali

STORY: Housewife Sylvie Belrangar in Chad's scorching capital N'Djamena turned a handle of a tap but nothing trickled out.

Water shortages and extreme temperatures have swept parts of West and North-Central Africa's Sahel region.

"The President of the Republic promised us water and electricity. But since he made that promise, we've seen nothing. We haven't had running water from the tap in our homes for 3 or 4 months now. To get a bucket of water, we have to stand in front of the tap until late at night, between 10pm and 2 or 3am. There's no water from the tap during the day, so we have to go a long way to fetch and transport the water to the house."

Belrangar's plight is echoed elsewhere in the semi-arid Sahel.

The worst heatwave in recent memory in April exposed the struggle of junta-led countries, such as Chad and Mali, to guarantee basic services when the need for water and electricity is most acute.

Recent outages have stoked frustration with the Malian and Chadian military authorities in some quarters, increasing social tensions when both countries stand at a political crossroads.

A presidential vote in Chad on Monday (May 6) is expected to cement Mahamat Idriss Deby's grip on power following two years of rule after his father's death.

Critics say the poll is a facade to legitimize Deby's rule and will not reflect the wishes of voters like Belrangar, who have lost faith in Deby's leadership.

And in Mali's capital Bamako, ice vendors draped blankets over their dwindling ice stock to shield it from the sun.

According to climate scientists, the April heatwave led to a surge of excess deaths in Bamako's Gabriel Toure Hospital.

Thousands others are likely victims across the region, the climate scientists added.

Maintaining a reliable power supply is key to curbing the fallout from extreme heat because it keeps fans, air-conditioners, and fridges running.

Political analyst Koureissi Cisse said a rise in electricity outages in Mali since the military seized power in a 2020 coup has affected public support for the junta.

"Today, people outside are having seizures and strokes. People are dying, first of all because of the heat, but also because of the lack of electricity."

Officials from the governments of Chad and Mali did not respond to multiple requests for comment.