Nairobi — Clashes last week between gold miners in the country's north left more than 100 people dead, the Chadian government said.

The clashes took place May 23 and 24 in the Kouri Bougoudi district, near the border with Libya. The area is home to many unregulated mines where people search for gold.

Chad's minister of defense said Monday that according to a government fact-finding mission, more than 100 people were killed and 40 others injured in the fighting.

Minister Daoud Yaya Brahim said the fighting broke out at night in the mining sites, but did not identify the cause of the violence.

Chad's communication minister said last week that the clashes were between Arabs who crossed the border from Libya and the Tama community who hail from eastern Chad.

Chadian authorities have suspended informal mining operations in Kouri Bougoudi and evacuated people from the area.

Chad is involved in a fight against terrorism and rebel groups who threaten to topple the interim government led by the son of late president Idriss Deby. However, there was no indication that terrorist or criminal groups played a role in the mining violence.