Heatwaves and outages test support for juntas in Chad and Mali

N'DJAMENA/BAMAKO (Reuters) - In Chad's scorching capital N'Djamena, housewife Sylvie Belrangar turned the handle of a tap but nothing trickled out as water shortages and extreme temperatures sweep parts of West and North-Central Africa's Sahel region. Belrangar's plight is echoed elsewhere in the semi-arid Sahel, whose worst heatwave in recent memory exposed in April 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.

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