Tinzaouaten
Commune and village in Kidal Region, Mali
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tinzaouaten (var. Tinzawatene and Tin-Zaouatene; Arabic: تين ظواتين) is a Saharan rural commune in the far northeast of Mali on the Algerian border.
Tinzaouaten
تين ظواتين ⵜⵉⵏⵣⴰⵡⴰⵜⴰⵏ | |
|---|---|
Commune and village | |
  Tinzaouaten Location in Mali | |
| Coordinates: 19°56′55″N 2°58′04″E | |
| Country |  Mali |
| Region | Kidal Region |
| Cercle | Abeïbara Cercle |
| Control |  Azawad Liberation Front |
| Area | |
• Total | 8,750 km2 (3,380 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 618 m (2,028 ft) |
| Population (2009 census)[2] | |
• Total | 2,300 |
| • Density | 0.26/km2 (0.68/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
Geography
The commune is in the Abeïbara Cercle of the Kidal Region. It included a stop on a trans-Saharan trade route and a military post on the frontier under the French colonial regime. In 2009 the 8,000 square kilometer commune had a population of 2,300, most of whom are nomadic Tuareg.[1] The Algerian settlement of Tin Zaoutine is on the Algerian side of the border.[3]
Recent history
In 2012, commune was captured by MNLA and Ansar Dine rebels.[4][5]
In 2019, Tinzaouaten was the headquarters of the Al-Qaeda-associated terrorist group Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin.[6]
On July 25, 2024, Tuareg rebels of CSP-DPA ambushed a convoy of FAMA and Russian Wagner mercenaries in Tinzaouaten, beginning a 2-day battle. Over the course of the battle a sandstorm formed, forcing both sides to a temporary pause in fighting until July 26.[7] The battle ended on July 27 resulting in the loss of several FAMA armored vehicles, a FAMA helicopter and the claimed deaths of 10 FAMA soldiers, up to 25-80+ Wagner Group mercenaries and 20 CSP-DPA soldiers.[8]
