Tibesti

The Tibesti is one of the 4 departments composing the area of the Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti to the Chad (Decrees N° 415/PR/MAT/02 and 419/PR/MAT/02). Its chief town is Bardaï.

The Tibesti is a mountainous solid mass in the heart of the the Sahara orientral covering 275.000 km ².

History

Old story

With the Tibesti, the history of the Earth's crust is read in each rock. Tibesti knew two great volcanic periods, one with the tertiary , here are 70 million years, and the second with the Quaternaire, time of the appearance of the first men. Volcanos emerged from the old crystalline base. Strong winds do not cease modelling the landscape. When the sandstorm rises, the peaks of 3.000 m, however any close relations, become invisible. The Alizé S, which always blow of the east, never cart but sand and dust. The rare rains (25 mm per annum, on average) fall especially on the tops. The volcano Emi Koussi is the culminating point of the Sahara with its 3.415 Mr. the sides of a volcanic cone were carried there are tens of million years, by a gigantic explosion. Scar of this cataclysm, a deep of 900 m and broad crater nearly 12 km where new eruptive chimneys appeared. It is famous Tarsou in language Teda Trou of Natron. It owes its name with the crusts of Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) which settled there after the stormy showers. The volcanic rock is then washed of its salts and water evaporates at once in this immense natural boiler. The climatologists evaluate to 6 m the height of water lost annually on the 1.000 hectares of the lake of Ounianga Kébir, to 400 m of altitude. But its level remains constant, bus of the " tablecloths fossiles" feed regularly. However, evaporation involves such a salt concentration that water is imbuvable. Besides one finds there practically no form of life higher. In the volcanic falls rare wild plants push that the women toubous collect during the months of food shortage. The families live especially of milk , dates and cereals (respectively 12 and 20 kg per annum and per capita). The meat is reserved for the great festivals. Only some goats and small dunkeys can be, in the villages, nourished vegetation wastes. The camels, them, nomadisent with the liking of the rains. The houses in cupola are built with reeds and palms on stone dry stone walls. In autumn, the men join the palm plantations for the harvest of dates, after having entrusted their herds to some shepherds. The women wear the veil, more to protect itself from dust that to obey the Islamic habit.

Rupestral paintings and engravings in Tibesti testify to 25.000 years an old civilization before J. - C. - to see the images - (No site of Tibesti is however classified World heritage of Humanity by UNESCO).

There are rupestral engravings in the neighborhoods of Zouar. Putting in scene, inter alia, of the Boviné S amateurs of fresh grass, they attest wet past of the Sahara.

Political history

Towards 1230 before J-C, Taharke creates the empire of Teda S, gives rise to 36 clans. The capital of the empire was Tezerbou. After the defeat against the Romans ( erdi madou in teda) the Tedas change their capital which will be Zouar until today. In 1230 before J-C, the Toubou S (the Toubous nomads, ombrageux warriors, tell that one as of theirs unchained the elements to escape its enemies) practice the religion of the god of the sun, then the Judaism of 1230 before J-C until the 8th century, and since the majority religion is the Islam. Toubous apply the common law but not the Moslem right.

Towards 820, May of Tibesti (little brother of Derdé Molitafor) creates the kingdom of the Kanem.
In 1085-1097, Derdé Oumé controls the Fezzan, Tibesti and Kanem to the heart of the Niger.
In 1097-1150, Derdé Dounama (“the powerful one” in teda ) converted with Islam.
1100: construction of a mosque with Tarsoumousso.
In 1194-1221, with Derdé May Dounami, monarchy weakened, it loses the territory of Kanem and Fezzan, but control always Tibesti, to the Libyan desert.
In 1221-1259, Derdé Kodofouri, grandson of Dounama changes policy, applies the common law and creates the traditional assembly, before it existed only the council of the noble ones.
1259-1270, Derdé Motti dies in the combat against the Moslems of the dynasty of the sherifs with Mourzouque.
1270-1300, Derdé Darsallah signs the trade and peace treaty with the of the sherifs ones.
1550-1590, after the death of Derdé Weakened, the kingdom is divided between its three sons: Arami, Erdy, Lay, division always of topicality.
1560: First contact between Toubous and the Ottoman Empire.
1590-1670: in 1650, the Derdé Arami and the king Tuareg sign and the recognition peace treaty of the territories.
In 1805: Military forwarding missed by the Pasha of Tripoli against Tibesti.
In 1820, a second peace treaty is signed between the Derdé and the Touaregs. Tibesti is divided into two parts, the north-eastern part controlled by Derdé Chahï, and the south-western part is controlled by Maïna Getty.
In 1885, Getty Ier (1839-1929) creates the confederation of Toubous through the traditional Parliament made up of the 36 chiefs of clan.
In 1890, Getty Ier signs a treaty with the Ottoman Empire.
In 1895, Getty Ier abolishes slavery and prohibits the raids.
In 1900, Agreement between Guetty Ier and Sounousite (Libya). Brotherhood Seynoussia.
on December 10th, 1913, Tibesti is occupied by the French troops. Before the arrival of the French troops, Tibesti was divided into two parts, the north-eastern part controlled by Derdé Chahï, and the southern part the west controlled Derdé Guetty.
on February 15th, 1914, after the death of the Gouailland sergeant and of five Rifleman S, France gives up Tibesti.
1929, Died of Getty
1930, at the request of the Derdé Chahï, France re-occupies Tibesti in the condition of not interfering in the businesses interiors of Toubous. Tibesti forever colonized but occupied by the French troops, France did not control all Tibesti, revolts always continuous each riflemen keep silent until 1950.
1964, After the independence of Chad in 1960, Tibesti becomes autonomous territory of Chad. There be several revolts of Toubous for independent Tibesti.
March 1st, 1964, occupation by the Chadian troops.
on October 6th, 1964 takes place a revolt of Toubous, 11 died and some casualties.
In 1968, French military intervention at the request of chair it Chadian to counter the rebellion of Tibesti: 60 died rebels, 250 massacred Toubous civilians.
1973, annexation by Libya of the Band of Aozou.
1975, occupation of Tibesti by the rebels of the " frolinat" (Face of national release of Chad)
1987, the war on the tape of Aozou between Libyans and Chadians makes more than 10.000 dead soldiers between the two parts and 300 Toubous civilian victims.
December 1st, 1990, peace in all Tibesti.
1994 cf international Stop Court of Justice of February 3rd, 1994 (the band of Aozou becomes Chadian).
October 10th, 1998, the war starts between the MDJT and the Chadian government, between the 10/10/1998 and 1999,101 civilians toubous are killed by mines used by the MDJT and the Chadian government.
In 2003, and spembre 2005 peace returned again.

Occident and Tibesti

In 1869, the doctor Nachtigal, German spy envoy by Bismarck, is the first European to come to Zouar, capital of Tibesti, without authorization.

Condemned by the traditional assembly to the capital punishment for espionage, it appeals, but this one is rejected. It is saved by the prince Arami Tetimi, who protects it and lodges it, with Yigatchi at the bottom of Doudué in the valley of Bardaï, after its return in Germany, it publishes the book the Sahara and Sudan .

Geography

Tibesti is a ic zone Désert located in the north of the Chad. It is dominated by the Massif of Tibesti where the dawns have the color of blood. Thousands of years ago, Tibesti was a rainy area. Infiltrated at that time, water remained accumulated in immense underground tanks. Through the layers of porous sandstone, tablecloths feed from resurgences until hundreds of km, as with Ounianga Sérir. The lakes thus formed remain only safe from natural walls which prevent the trade winds from piling up sand there. But the wind penetrates by the least crénaux ones. It pushes in the middle of the floods of the " languages of désert" alternating with plentiful marshes of reeds. Here and there, of the rocks emergent of the waves, such of the petrified ships. As the breaches increase, the lake is drained more. It is by circumventing the reliefs of Tibesti (cones of eruptive rocks) that the Alizé accelerates come from the North-East. Charged with abrasive sand, it attacks, in south-east, the sandstones of the plate of Borkou and, in the North-West, those of the plate of the Tchigaï. It digs deep corridors there. On the sheltered slopes, in south-west, the wind slows down, depositing the residues of erosion. Thus was formed during the centuries, an immense ocean of sand: the erg of Bilma.

In the North-West of Tibesti, the plate of Tchigaï is strewn with enormous spherical blocks one meter in diameter, made of friable sedimentary layers. One is explained their genesis rather badly. Of aucuns a combined action of the wind and shadow see there. The daily race of the sun would involve a cycle of sufficient temperature variations and moisture to deteriorate the circumference of each rock.

With the top of the Ehi Timi, high of 3040 m, when the sun goes down on the horizon, the cloud of sand fine soufflé on the mountains by the trade winds lets filter only the red radiation of color. In the twilight, freshness falls brutally: the thermal variations reach 30 °C per day under shelter, and well of advantage to the wind.

Located at the foot of the Peak Toussidé, second top with more than 3.300 m of altitude, the Tarsou is a crater 13 km in diameter, major of 1200 m and whose walls form by places of the vertiginous cliff. The chevriers go down there with their herds, fond of delicacies of the salted deposits (Natron) that one finds there in a natural state and who form white trails. The sources of warm water and the fumerolles look after the rheumatic affections and the sinusitises.

Close to the lakes of Ounianga, to marked out banks of sources of fresh water, the palm trees will seek in-depth moisture thanks to their roots. They thus manage to survive, in spite of the attack of the sand pushed by the winds. But for how long? Because the desert advances and the dunes quickly made be formed around the first obstacle, with stronger reason when it is about a tree trunk.

Demography

Toubous (200.000 to 500.000) that one finds in the North-East of the Niger, north of the Chad, south of the Libya, the North-West of the Sudan and south-west of the Egypt populate this area. The populations of Tibesti practice the breeding of goats , of camels , the gardening and also deal with the date palms , plus 50.0000 date palms in Tibesti.

The vegetation moved back, these last years, with the the Sahara as with the the Sahel. Close to the Enneri S (temporary rivers), Toubous cannot build but deadwood huts any more. Then the dryness in hunting. At other places, they make shaped frameworks as Carène S of boats, on which they pose plaits. When they leave the camping for new pastures, they carry only the cover, that they will rest on the carcasses already in place. And so on. These residences are so intelligently designed that, under the wind, they do not let pass the least grain of sand. Furniture is rudimentary: a bed of branches and plaits, a small bench and a trunk.

Habitat

One finds 3 types of habitat in Tibesti:

the habitat seminomade , with its tents.
the traditional sedentary habitat of the villages . Stone houses traditional.
the sedentary habitat dispersed . The enclosure of the houses is delimited by Séco, fences made out of vegetable fibers, generally of the sheets of palm tree, protecting the houses from sand. The houses, they, are built in Banco, a mixture of ground and dry grass.

Subdivisions

The department of Tibesti is divided into five sub-prefectures:

Bardaï
Aouzou
Zouar
Wour
Zoumri

Administration

List of the administrators:

Governor of Chad

1938 with 1944: Felix Swept

Sub-prefects of Tibesti (1960-2002)

December 6th 1961: Emile Mbaiodjal Mahamat
August 2nd 1994: Mouli Tahir

Prefects of Tibesti (since 2002)

2003 : Darkallah Taher Abdallah

See too

Internal bond

Massive of Tibesti

External bond

CNT - National council of Tibesti, is Instutions for butts the progress of Tibesti
- town of zouar, town of Tatri symbol of all Toubous

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