Libyan National Army Takes Control of ‘Gold Mine’ Near Chad Border

The Libyan National Army (LNA) is engaged in a fierce battle on the border with Chad, executing a “specific military mission” launched by the General Staff of the Ground Forces at the beginning of August as part of a comprehensive plan to secure the southern border and enhance national security.

According to a source familiar with the military operation, the “128th Brigade, led by Major General Hassan Al-Zadama,” affiliated with the LNA, has taken control of a “gold mine” that Chadian gangs had controlled for many years. The source stated, “Thanks to God, our men have taken control of it.”

The Libyan-Chadian border has witnessed bloody conflicts over illegal gold mining on the shared borders of Libya, Sudan, Chad, and Niger. The LNA had previously launched a plan to secure the borders, aiming to eliminate “terrorist groups,” cross-border gangs, and combat illegal migration.

The source, who requested anonymity as they are not authorized to speak to the media, stated, “Clashes are still ongoing in the Kalinja mountain border area between the ‘128th Brigade,’ which the southern residents describe as the spearhead of the LNA’s General Command in the south.” The source added, “The forces killed several members of these gangs involved in human and drug trafficking as of Tuesday afternoon, while some fled into the desert and are currently being pursued.”

The military operation resulted in the death of several members of the “128th Brigade” during clashes with armed groups. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, in his capacity as (Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces), mourned the “martyrs of duty,” stating that they “sacrificed their pure souls for the homeland while defending our southern borders.”

Haroun Arhuma, head of the “Supreme Council of Sheikhs and Elders of Fezzan,” also expressed his condolences on behalf of Fezzan to Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the General Commander of the LNA, and the Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces, Saddam Haftar, and the Commander of the “128th Brigade.”

Since 2018, the “128th Brigade,” led by Al-Zadama, has been working to secure the southwestern borders and combat terrorism, organized crime, and human trafficking. In August 2023, forces from the “Tarik Bin Ziyad Brigade,” affiliated with the LNA General Command, pursued remnants of the “Chadian rebels” inside southern Libyan borders. Pro-LNA social media pages previously published videos showing the “Tarik Bin Ziyad Brigade” pursuing what they described as remnants of “Chadian rebels” within Libyan borders, forcing them to flee towards N’Djamena as flames engulfed burning vehicles.

The General Staff of the Ground Forces stated in a report that the General Staff, under the direct supervision of the Chief of Staff, is actively conducting aerial reconnaissance and desert patrols in the border area between Algeria and Niger, known as the Salvador Triangle. The report highlighted that these reconnaissance missions “reflect the efforts of the Ground Forces’ General Staff in securing the borders and enhancing stability in the southwest.”

Local media outlets accuse a Chadian named Mohamed Zaini of being behind the gold mining activities on the Libyan border. A previous report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime indicated that Libya is one of the main areas for the extraction of alluvial gold, attracting thousands of Chadians. According to Chadian media reports, approximately 64,000 Chadians work in gold mining, producing 8,254 kilograms of gold, with most of them working illegally.

Saddam Haftar visited Chad in early June 2024 as an envoy from the LNA General Command, where he met with the elected president, Mahamat Idriss Déby.