Second Battle of N'Djamena

Battle context

The Second Battle of N'Djamena marked a decisive escalation in the Chadian–Libyan conflict. What began as fighting between Chadian proxy forces — FROLINAT under Goukouni Oueddei against Hissène Habré's FAN — drew in Libyan forces directly, transforming a civil proxy contest into an open Libyan military intervention. The engagement produced enormous casualties, with FROLINAT losses estimated between 5,000 and 10,000 despite fielding the larger force of 5,500 against FAN's 4,000. For Gaddafi, the battle represented his first military victory in the Chadian theater, establishing a foothold for sustained Libyan involvement in the conflict and confirming Libya's willingness to commit conventional forces in support of its preferred Chadian faction.