Chad's government has struck a peace deal with an armed group in the north of the country, ending years of conflict over gold deposits in the region, a mediator said on social media.
It sees "the definitive return of peace in (the town of) Miski and the entire province of Tibesti", Ibrahim Edji Mahamat, who acted as a facilitator for talks, told AFP by telephone.
The agreement, signed Tuesday by government mediator Saleh Kebzabo, offers an amnesty to both the Chadian defense and security forces and rebels, who took part in clashes between 2019 and 2020, according to a document seen by AFP.
Members of the Diffa Al Watan Popular Committee of Miski will also be integrated into the army or the police after receiving training.
Mahamat, the facilitator, said the agreement involved the "last dissident group". Other rebel groups accepted similar deals in 2019, 2023, and in recent months.
Several rebel groups had prevented state officials from entering the area of Miski, around 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Bardai, the main city in Tibesti province, in order to mine its resources.
Since Chad gained independence from France in 1960, the Tibesti region has attracted numerous illegal gold miners.
With AFP
Comments