A gypsum deposit and a plaster factory also contribute to the local economy, though these activities have been disrupted in recent decades by the Tuareg Rebellions and terrorism in neighboring Algeria.

It is primarily populated by Tuaregs and is the home of the musical group Tinariwen as well as the poet Souéloum Diagho.

Attempts by the Malian Air Force, using Ukrainian mercenaries, were unable to prevent the defeat.

[5] French forces killed the head of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Abdelmalek Droukdel on June 5, 2020, near Tessalit.

While France is concentrating its anti-terrorist efforts on the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (IS-GS), a spokesperson indicated that does not preclude other activities.