Zouar زوار | |
|---|---|
  Zouar Location in Chad (Tibesti Region highlighted) | |
| Coordinates:20°27′N016°31′E / 20.450°N 16.517°E /20.450; 16.517 | |
| Country |  Chad |
| Region | Tibesti |
| Department | Tibesti Ouest |
| Sub-Prefecture | Zouar |
| Elevation | 2,507 ft (764 m) |
| Time zone | +1 |
Zouar (Arabic:زوار) is a town in theTibesti Ouestdepartment of theTibestiregion in northernChad, located in anoasis in theTibesti Mountains. Prior to 2008 it was in theTibesti Department of the formerBourkou-Ennedi-Tibesti region.
The seat of thederde, the highest religious and political authority among theTeda of the Tibesti, the town came underFrench control in 1917.[1]
After Chad's independence, Zouar played an important role during theChadian Civil War and theChadian-Libyan conflict, when its control was hotly contended. It was first besieged in 1968 by theFROLINAT rebels led by Mahamat Ali Taher, and was relieved only by the arrival in August of a French expeditionary force.[2] One of the last strongholds held by the government in the north, it was attacked in June 1977 by thePeople's Armed Forces (FAP), forcing the garrison to evacuate.[3]
During theChadian-Libyan conflict, a Libyan garrison was installed, only to be expelled when the former pro-Libyan FAP rebelled in the Tibesti in August 1986; but the town was reconquered with the Libyan counter-offensive in December. In January 1987 theChadian army once and for all freed Zouar.[4]
In October 1998, with the foundation of the insurgentMovement for Democracy and Justice in Chad (MDJT), civil war has erupted again in the north.[5] The MDJT commander,Youssouf Togoimi, announced in June 1999 that his forces were in a position to take Zouar andBardaï, but preferred to wait for the government troops to surrender.[6] On 18 March 2006 the MDJT started besieging the town.[7]
Zouar is also the birthplace of the formerHead of StateGoukouni Oueddei[8] and of theMDJT founder Youssouf Togoimi,[9] respectively born in 1944 and 1953.
The town is served byZouar Airport.