Chegga

Chegga Cheggat
Chegga Location in Mauritania
Coordinates: 25°22′23.89″N 5°47′14.12″W
Country	Mauritania
Region	Tiris Zemmour
Elevation	400 m (1,200 ft)
Population
• Total	0
Time zone	UTC0

Chegga is an abandoned fort in the very northeastern part of Mauritania, close to the borders with Algeria and Mali. It has been a caravan stop for centuries. There are neolithic rock carvings in the oued 500 meters away from the fort, near a water source.[1][2]

Chegga consists of a mosque and a military fort. It was built by the French Foreign Legion and taken over by the Army of Mauritania after independence.[1]

A view of artisanal mining near Chegga

In 2019, president Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, opened the surrounding military exclusion zone to prospecting on a limited basis, although technically foreigners can still be shot on sight. Chegga has since become a center of artisanal gold mining by Mauritanians and Malians using hand tools.[3]

An artisanal miner working in a mine near Chegga

References

1. "de Vries". Retrieved 2 December 2018. Hein and Wil de Vries' travel report
2. Puigaudeau, Odette du; Sénones, Marion (1939). "Gravures rupestres du Hank (Sahara Marocain)". Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique de France (in French). 36 (11). JSTOR 27912955.
3. McMakin, Wilson (7 July 2023). "Artisanal Miners on Shaky Ground in Mauritania". Inkstick. Retrieved 10 July 2023.