Tarkint

Tarkint is a village and commune in the Cercle of Bourem in the Gao Region of north-eastern Mali. The village is 70 km (43 mi) northeast of Bourem and 123 km (76 mi) from Gao. Tarkint extends for 23,000 km2 and includes part of the Tilemsi Valley. In the 2009 census Tarkint had a population of 19,082.

Tarkint
Commune and village
Tarkint
Location in Mali
Coordinates: 17°28′37.2″N 0°06′58.6″E
Country Mali
RegionGao Region
CercleBourem Cercle
Government
  TypeElected body
  MayorBaba Ould Cheikh Sid’Elmoctar Alkounti
Area
  Total23,000 km2 (9,000 sq mi)
Elevation
305 m (1,000 ft)
Population
 (2009 census)[2]
  Total19,082
  Density0.83/km2 (2.1/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)

Cocaine Air

The sandblown village became notorious in 2009, when the burnt-out wreckage of an old Boeing 727 airliner was found abandoned in the desert, 85 miles north of Gao, at the scene of the so-called "Cocaine Air" incident. It is believed that the aircraft had been transporting up to 10 tons of cocaine.[3]

References

  1. Plan de Securite Alimentaire Commune de Tarkint 2005-2009 (PDF) (in French), Commissariat à la Sécurité Alimentaire, République du Mali, USAID-Mali, 2005.
  2. Resultats Provisoires RGPH 2009 (Région de Gao) (PDF) (in French), République de Mali: Institut National de la Statistique.
  3. Revealed: how Saharan caravans of cocaine help to fund al-Qaeda in terrorists' North African domain. telegraph.co.uk. From 26 January 2013


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