Tinzawatene and Tin-Zaouatene; Arabic: تين ظواتين) is a Saharan rural commune in the far northeast of Mali on the Algerian border.
It included a stop on a trans-Saharan trade route and a military post on the frontier under the French colonial regime.
[3] In 2019, Tinzaouaten was the headquarters of the Al-Qaeda-associated terrorist group Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin.
[4] On July 25, 2024, Tuareg rebels of CSP-DPA ambushed a convoy of FAMA and Russian Wagner mercenaries in Tinzaouaten, beginning a 2-day battle.
Over the course of the battle a sandstorm formed, forcing both sides to a temporary pause in fighting until July 26.