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Chad’s army launched a new offensive on Tuesday against a self-defence committee of armed gold miners in the northern province of Tibesti and says it killed at least 22 of its members, with no army casualties, according to EFE.
EFE quoted Gen. Tom Djeroua Souguia, the government’s delegate general for Tibesti: “We have launched an offensive that has allowed us to neutralise twenty-two combatants.” He added: “The land and mining resources belong to the state.” The fighting began around 12:00 GMT near Arkinyan, a locality in Tibesti, after what EFE describes as a week of truce. The toll, the absence of army losses and the truce all rest on military and government sources; we found no statement from the committee, no independent account and no information on civilians.
The committee was created in the gold-mining town of Miski to defend local land and regulate gold extraction, EFE reports, and has accused the central authorities of favouring outside interests. Residents want a better share of mining revenue and investment in schools, health centres and infrastructure. An agreement signed on 20 April 2025 reportedly suspended mining permits pending mapping studies and offered amnesty to local fighters; the committee and part of the population say the authorities broke their commitments, and mining resumed with levies imposed by the army’s Mining Brigade, which is responsible for security at mining sites. Mediators and political parties have urged both sides to stop fighting.