Following the outbreak of the war in Mali, it was reported that there was a mass exodus of inhabitants seeking safety from the Malian town of Tinzaouaten towards the Algerian side.

It became a popular transit point for refugees, who mostly crossed the border at midday, because of an increased security patrol at night.

On June 15, 2020, clashes between police and locals protesting over the decision left one man, Ayoub Ag Adji, dead and several others injured.

Despite an extremely dry climate, some occasional rainfall occur during the months of August and September due to the influence of the far northern edge of the West African Monsoon, unlike most of the Algerian Desert.

[6] The commune is composed of four localities:[7] The current mayor of Tin Zaoutine is Mohamed Mansouri (2020), a native of the city, who was in his fourth term in 2016.