Chad’s government has signed a peace deal with an armed group in the country’s north, ending years of conflict over gold deposits in the Miski area of Tibesti province, a mediator confirmed on Tuesday.
Ibrahim Edji Mahamat, who facilitated the talks, said the agreement marked “the definitive return of peace in Miski and the entire province of Tibesti.” He described the group as the “last dissident group” still active in the region.
The deal, signed by government mediator Saleh Kebzabo, offers amnesty to both Chadian defence and security forces and the 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 be integrated into the army or the police after receiving training.
Several rebel groups had previously prevented state officials from entering Miski — about 200 kilometres from Bardai, the main city in Tibesti province — to access the area’s gold resources.
Mahamat noted that other rebel factions had already accepted similar deals in 2019, 2023, and in recent months.
Since Chad gained independence from France in 1960, the Tibesti region has drawn numerous illegal gold miners, making it a flashpoint for armed conflict.
