44 prisoners from the Islamist militia Boko Haram were found dead in a prison in Chad. An autopsy showed that the prisoners had taken poison, said prosecutor Youssef Tom. The Islamists had already died on Thursday and Friday. Where they got the poison from is unclear. 14 other Boko Haram fighters would have survived.
The men had recently been captured in a military operation led by President Idriss Deby of Chad. According to the army, around 1,000 Boko Haram fighters were killed and dozens overwhelmed. The campaign was in response to a Boko Haram attack that killed 98 soldiers in March.
Boko Haram has joined the Islamic State (ISIS) and is active in large parts of the region from Nigeria and Cameroon to Mali.
The Sunni organization now mostly operates under the name Islamic State Province of West Africa. In recent months, it has expanded its attacks, particularly in the Sahel region.
