The North Africa Journal: Manipulated, the Touaregs in Search for a Way Forward 

Manipulated, the Touaregs in Search for a Way Forward
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Arezki Daoud on 14 November, 2011 11:36:00
 
The most notorious manipulator of the Touaregs is no doubt the former Libyan
dictator Muamar Gaddafi, who for decades promoted the idea of a Touareg Kingdom.
Such initiative was meant to foment rebellions in the Sahara/Sahel in an effort
to undermine neighboring nations and propel himself into a greater leadership
role. Such initiative culminated in 2005 in Timbuktu when Gaddafi and some
Touareg chiefs agreed on the creation of the Greater Sahara Federation to the
dismay of neighboring nations. Gaddafi's fall simply means the end of such
unreachable dream while the fate of the Touaregs remains highly uncertain.
The use and manipulation of the Touareg tribes has never been so clearer than
during the civil war that brought the Gaddafi regime down. As many sided with
him with the promise of a $6,000/month payout, the anti-Touareg lobbyists in
Mali and Niger are working overtime to further weaken their Touareg populations
that have long suffered from economic and social exclusion. The fall of Gaddafi
while welcomed by all, does not necessary bode well for the Touaregs in Mali and
Niger, in particular, as we expect retaliations to add more fuel to the state of
crisis affecting the region.
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