The Tuareg Revolution: Two Perspectives
Jihadism and Tuareg nationalism are not the same
Laurence Deschamps-Laporte
The MNLA is not Jihadist. It is the main group representing the Azawad independence movement and has aims similar to those of other ethnic nationalist groups.
On Friday April 6, the MNLA (National Tuareg Liberation Movement) unilaterally declared the independence of Northern Mali. The situation in Mali leading to this declaration has already been the subject of media coverage, which seems to have been drawing a connection between the Tuareg insurgency and jihadism. However, Tuareg secessionism must not be confounded with Islamism. Mistakenly labeling the MNLA as jihadist might alienate the group and reduce the chances of peaceful settlement or negotiations with the Tuareg rebels.
The political context of Mali, a sub-Saharan, land-locked African country, has changed rapidly over the past few months. The fall of Gaddafi has sent hundreds of armed nomadic Tuareg mercenaries back to their home base in Northern Mali. On returning to the Sahara, they rejoined the MNLA and began what they consider the fourth Tuareg rebellion, resuming their struggle of the past decades to establish the State of Azawad that would cover all of Northern Mali down to the Niger River. The MNLA is the main group representing the Azawad independence movement and it has aims similar to those of other ethnic nationalist groups such as the Kurds.
In parallel to the MNLA, one main Islamist group has also been trying to gain control of Northern Mali. The group initially emerged after the Algerian army refused to recognize the election of the FSI (Islamic Salvation Front) in 1991. This refusal fueled frustration amongst the FSI supporters, some of whom reorganized into the armed Islamic factions. These factions then moved south into Mali, recruiting young men from Algeria, Mali and other neighboring countries. In 2006, they officially became a part of Al-Qaeda under the name Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
It is only comparatively recently that Ansar Dine emerged as a new player in the Malian political landscape. Ansar Dine is a conservative Islamic group, seemingly independent from AQIM, and with yet unclear political aims. Its leader, Iyad Ag Ghaly, was also the instigator of the 1990 Tuareg rebellion. He has since moved away from the Tuareg secessionist struggle and joined conservative Islamic movements. He recently founded Ansar Dine, a group seeking to implement an orthodox interpretation of Islamic law in Mali. Although it is not known yet whether Ansar Dine shares some of AQIM’s aims, it is clear that Ansar Dine is not concerned with secession. It is probably the emergence of Ansar Dine with its former Tuareg rebel leader and its unclear links with AQIM that has caused the conflation of Islamism with Tuareg nationalism.
On March 22, with the turmoil in the North caused by AQIM, Ansar Dine and the MNLA as a backdrop, young officers of the Malian army declared a Coup d’État, removing President Amadou Toumani Touré from office. These three groups seized the opportunity to further their aims in the North of Mali. Before the coup, there had been some collaboration between the MNLA and AQIM. Both groups shared the same trade routes and subsisted through smuggling goods, people, drugs, cigarettes and weapons through the border between Algeria and Mali. Despite this collaboration, the MNLA, which is in effective control of Northern Mali, remains secular and has always rejected jihadism. The MNLA has a long history in Mali and has more supporters and fighters than Ansar Dine. There have been reports that with the recent coup and instability, Iyad Ag Ghaly and his men took this opportunity to steal some of the MNLA’s weapons in a warehouse in Kidal, thus reinforcing their divergence and competition. Since the beginning of the coup, however, AQIM has kept out of the spotlight whilst Ansar Dine benefits from disproportionate media coverage compared to the MNLA. This tends to misrepresent the current political situation in Northern Mali.
In order to address the conflict in Mali adequately, it is important not to confuse the MNLA, a secessionist-nationalist movement, with Ansar Dine, an Islamic pro-sharia group, or with Al Qaeda. In the midst of the American Global War on Terror, to label yet another group or state as terrorist could lead to misdirected interventions that would only exacerbate the unrest in Mali. Mali ranks 175 out of 187 according to the2011 Human Development Index Report, and this political crisis is aggravating the plague of famine and poverty for civilians. In order to support peace in Mali, incautious use of words such as terrorist or jihadist must be avoided, and each group must be understood through its aims and history.
Crisis in Mali: fundamentalism, women’s rights and cultural resistance
In conversation with Jessica Horn, a leading Malian women’s rights activist (name supplied but withheld on request) identifies the roots of the crisis in Mali, and the opportunistic use of the crisis by Malian and international Islamic fundamentalists to gain a popular foothold in the north of the country.
JESSICA HORN: Were there any early warnings that this crisis would emerge?
INTERVIEWEE: This is one of the deepest crisis [10] that this country has faced since colonial times. We have been through the 1968 military coup against President Modibo Keïta, we went through the popular revolutions in the early 1990s, but it has never gotten to this level of instability. The military group that led the coup is from Kati, a military garrison town outside of the capital Bamako which had been used historically as a base for troops from all over West Africa.
At the end of January 2012, a group of women who were wives of soldiers from Kati had held a march and threatened to go to the Palais de Koulouba (presidential palace) in Bamako. These women felt that they needed more information about the government’s response to what had happened to their husbands who had been sent by the government to fight the Tuareg rebellion in the north of Mali. There had been a lot of rumour that the Malian military did not have enough arms to fight the Tuareg rebels. The women had also heard that there were many cases of torture and ill treatment of Malian soldiers by the Tuareg rebels, and had also heard rumours that the Malian government was engaged in heavy negotiation with the rebels and not, for example, ordering troops to shoot at the rebels. They felt that their husbands had been sent to the north of Mali to die.
We have to remember that the Tuareg rebels had been supported by Gaddafi in Libya, who had both integrated some of these rebels in his army and was also known to have been assisting with the rebellion in the north of Mali. After the fall of Gaddafi, these rebels returned to Mali heavily armed, and in fact some say better armed than the Malian army itself.
As part of rising anger against what was happening in the north, there had also been attacks on innocent people from northern Mali living in Bamako. The government stepped in to protect the northerners, which again made it appear to everyday people like the government was on the side of the northern rebels.
In terms of the humanitarian situation, the roots of a crisis are already there. People had started to flee the north from the start of the year, with people internally displaced as well as crossing borders in to countries such as Burkina Faso. At the start of the year we also had a drought and we could see that were going to face a food crisis. An early sign we saw was many parents in rural areas pulling their children out of school and sending them to the cities to try and earn money to buy food.
JESSICA HORN: Who is leading the current armed rebellion in the north?
INTERVIEWEE:
In the north of Mali the complication is that there are now three armed movements.
The first is a Tuareg nationalist movement, who are rooted in a pan-Tuareg identity and want to establish a Tuareg nation that transcends the current national borders in the Sahel region.The majority of Tuaregs are Muslims, however this is not a central aspect of their political identity, their vision is for a Tuareg nation and to defend Tuareg culture and independence.
The second is a newer movement of Tuaregs who have more extreme views regarding both nationalism and religion, and explicitly link being Islamists to their political identity. They are more extremist than the nationalist group and are less interested in dialogue or negotiation.
The third are Islamic fundamentalists made up of people from countries such as Algeria and even as far as Afghanistan and Pakistan. They have been based in the desert in northern Mali, as a convenient location where they can both hide and plan. Remember that there is also a lot of organised crime in that area, including drug trafficking, and so it has worked as a safe space for them. Originally the Islamist groups appeared to be working to help the Tuaregs in the nationalist agenda, however now it seems that the religious fundamentalist view is taking over as their sole agenda.
JESSICA HORN: What indications do you see of rising fundamentalism in the north of Mali, and what strategies are the fundamentalists using?
INTERVIEWEE: We are hearing about how Islamic fundamentalists are gradually gaining power in the north. They have started to talk of imposing rules that women must wear hijabs, and putting other restrictions on the ways that women dress. In Gao, fundamentalists are handing out sweets to children on the streets as a way to gain community trust, while they are forcing bars and hotels to close. In Timbuktu, Gao, and other northern cities, we are also hearing that fundamentalists are visiting moderate marabouts (muslim leaders) and suggesting that they are there to “help people” in the name of Islam, attempting to win their favour and claiming that they have not come with the intention to cause violence. Yet while they say this, we have already heard of at least one case of these fundamentalists public lynching thieves. They say it is to show that they are there to protect the community from looting, however I believe that their agenda is far more insidious and dangerous.
We have not heard of any targeted physical attacks against women yet, but for me this is not the only thing to worry about. I am deeply concerned about the way that the fundamentalists have begun to limit women’s rights – starting with the way that women dress. It is a sign of what is going to happen next. Women in Mali have a long history as market traders, they move around and interact freely in public and wear the clothing that they want. These changes are going to have a major impact and cause a lot of stress for women.
JESSICA HORN: What is your view of the regional governmental response so far?
INTERVIEWEE: The response that is coming from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, [11] is aimed at ending the coup, reaffirming the constitution and following due process regarding elections, now scheduled for May. This is understandable given that they want stability in the state. Growing military intervention, for example by troops from ECOWAS, would just make the situation more violent. Sanctions would also be problematic because Mali is a landlocked country and we are heavily dependant on goods that come from outside to earn our living and to survive. If sanctions are imposed it is not the people with money who suffer, it is poor people, and in particular women and their families who suffer most. It is the poor woman who needs to make that dollar, that day! When a war is fought and bullets fly, people count the dead. But in this case, we would not even know who has died or suffered severely as a result of not having access to basic things like food and fuel.
We have to pay attention now to the strengthening of fundamentalists in the north. If this results in a military response as part of the ‘war on terror’, the truth and reality is that the people who suffer the most are again, the everyday people of this region. They are unarmed, they chose not to take up arms, and find themselves with no protection from any side.
JESSICA HORN: What do you see as priorities for action?
INTERVIEWEE: First and foremost we have to pay as much attention to the concerns of ordinary people as we do to issues such as elections. Any decision that is taken by political leaders, ECOWAS, the African Union or the international community needs to be aware of who is paying what price for every intervention that they consider. There is urgent work to do in order to support women on the ground. We have to identify and respond to the everyday needs of women who have been displaced, to ensure they feel safe and supported, but also not belittled by humanitarian intervention.
As a Malian I can also say that there is serious and deep work that we must do as civil society to affirm people in their identity as Malian, which has always been a very vibrant and extremely tolerant culture. The Muslim fundamentalists are already trying to erode this. They work at the level of culture, and have started to try and change our culture as a way of gaining power. This is longer-term work for us as civil society and it has to start now. We have to make it clear that secularism is vital, and that as Malians living in peace with our neighbours regardless of their religion or ethnicity is our way of life. It includes not judging and forcing people to do or to be what we think is right. In Bamanan (Bambara) culture and language in Mali there is a strong embrace of the concept of ‘maya’- the fact that what makes us human is our relationship and responsibility to our fellow human beings. We take this for granted as Malians, and then the fundamentalists come and start to unravel those principles very quickly. We know that fundamentalists groups work through fear and guilt. As soon as they attack a women’s hairdresser for example, of course other hairdressers will be afraid to open their shops. We know from experience in other countries how Muslim fundamentalists take over. And we can and we have to make it more difficult for them to take over.
COURSE DE VITESSE DANS L’AZAWAD
Berbères laïques contre Arabes jihadistes : le “grand jeu” saharien a commencé.
http://gurfinkielblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/geopolitique-course-de-vitesse-dans.html
“L’alliance entre l’Algérie et AQMI suscite un malaise grandissant chez les nationalistes touaregs. Et conduit le MNLA à solliciter l’appui de la France : « Pour nous, c’est Alger l’ennemi principal. Pas Bamako »…
Pour l’instant, le MNLA ménage Ansar Dine en tant qu’organisation touarègue authentique. Son chef actuel, Iyad Ag Gheli, avait été l’un des chefs de la révolte de 1990-1991. Sa tribu, les Iforas, est l’une des puissante de l’Azawad. Et c’est sur son territoire que se situe Kidal, la capitale. Alors que l’AQMI est perçue comme une organisation totalement étrangère”.
There’s going to be held Conference of Tuaregs of Azawad in Gao, under MNLA umbrella:
http://juralib.noblogs.org/2012/04/24/vive-lazawad-libre-ansardine-degage/
“Le Mouvement national de libération de l’Azawad (MNLA) prend ses distances avec les islamistes présents dans le nord du Mali. En se réunissant les 25 et 26 avril à Gao, les chefs religieux, chefs coutumiers et notables entendent prononcer une « fatwa » contre Ansar Eddine, le groupe islamiste fondé par Iyad Ag Ghali, mais aussi et surtout contre ses alliés salafistes d’Al-Qaïda au Maghreb islamique (Aqmi) et du Mouvement unifié pour le djihad en Afrique de l’Ouest (Mujao), qui contrôlent notamment la ville de Tombouctou”.
On that or this http://www.elwatan.com/international/3000-touareg-sont-morts-en-libye-et-3000-autres-sont-rentres-au-mali-21-04-2012-167628_112.php page you can read very interesting interview with Lamine Ag Billal, former officer in the Qaddafi’s “Green Legion” and now MNLA commander. He said:
“Pour eux, la nouvelle donne est que les rebelles sont en position de force avec l’armement qu’ils ont ramené de Libye. Il a donc été décidé de la création du Mouvement national pour la libération de l’Azawad (MNLA). Ayad Ag Ghaly, qui est une figure de proue dans le combat pour l’Azawad, voulait être à la tête du mouvement, mais les Maliens de Libye ont refusé. Ce qui l’a poussé à créer un autre groupe, tout en promettant de ne pas se mettre à contre-courant du combat.
Aujourd’hui, avec les groupes d’AQMI, les organisations salafistes et les trafiquants de drogue et d’armes compromettent lourdement notre guerre pour l’autodétermination”.
For all other clarifications refer to Andy Morgan’s http://thinkafricapress.com/mali/causes-uprising-northern-mali-tuareg article, so far the most comprehensive on that subject written in English. Most authors simply compile his findings.
Here http://touaregmaroc.blogspot.com/2008/07/azawad-libre-interview-de-hassane.html is interview from 2008. with old-guard Tuareg rebel Hassane Ag Fagaga.
Here http://www.mnlamov.net/actualites/34-actualites/151-declaration-de-demission-des-instances-maliennes-et-adhesion-au-mnla.html Fagaga’s name is on the list along with other respected Tuaregs who support MNLA. Impressive list, by the way. Someone still thinks that mnlamov.net are “imperialist puppets”?
MNLA has achieved what no other Tuareg movement ever has been able to achieve: Tuareg united front for independent State of Azawad.
Victory to MNLA!
Here Lamine Ag Billal is both anti-Gaddafi and anti-Libyan. He stated he never fought for the former government. He was with the rebels.
“Contrary to what was said, the Tuareg liberated the south of Libya from the grip of the loyalist forces of El Kadhafi.”
He also stated there was a dispute between the Tuareg who fought for the former Libyan government and those who fought with the rebels. As I understand the French, the Tuareg loyal to the former Libyan government opposed the MNLA.
His narrative implies that Libya engaged child soldiers as standard practice.
Even at best, Lamine AG Billal does not speak for all Tuareg.
I think it’s a myth that Tuaregs worship Qaddafi. Tuaregs are nationalists, they want independent Azawad and they don’t care much for anything else (imperialism, Qaddafi, NTC…). War in Libya (and Chad, for example) wasn’t their war. War for Azawad is their war. MNLA is legitimate Tuareg nationalist movement, those who don’t understand that are simply out of touch with reality.
Here’s translation of the most interesting part of interview:
“Captain Lamine Ag Billal was barely 12 when he joined the Libyan military camps opened by Qaddafi. It was 1982, when hundreds of Malian Tuareg were already receiving military training for almost 5 years. Father of two children, one in Libya and one in Mali, he dreams of a free and prosperous Azawad. During our meeting in Achebrach, in northern Mali, he expressed his “concern” about the outcome of the war for the independence of the region”.
-How to explain that Qaddafi, who repressed his Tuareg, denied them the right to believe in their culture, could help Tuareg in other countries to gain independence?
Well, he had never helped us gain independence. He was using us for other purposes. Basically, he was not liked because he was very harsh with the Tuareg. Many were tortured and executed for having claimed the right to a territory or simply the right to practice their culture. As for Qaddafi, he needed an army to fight outside of its territory, and the Tuareg needed to be trained in the art of war, to learn to read and write, and to earn enough to eat and feed their families. Both sides found its interest. But we knew that someday we would return to our land to liberate it. We do not bear Qaddafi in our hearts – he was an ally out of necessity more than anything else.
-However, the Tuareg have remained loyal to him during the war …
In fact, it was not the case. We knew that his regime would fall. It was only a matter of time. We were in a strong position in the south of Libya. Qaddafi has asked us to help, in return he promised us weapons and even airplanes to liberate our territory in Mali. He was cornered. We did not trust him, because he was always promising mountains and miracles, but not those he actually had at his disposal. Qaddafi let us to take all the weapons and telecommunications and transport equipment we needed. We were all convinced that he was not credible. We defended our positions. The forces of Qaddafi could not enter areas under our control. At that time, we have agreed with the opposition to leave the region for Mali with arms and equipment.
-What was the toll of the clashes?
It was very heavy. You know, the Tuareg have been wrongly qualified as mercenaries. We have been placed in a position of preferred target, not only for the opposition, but for Qaddafi’s loyalist forces as well, who accused us of having abandoned him. Speaking of those who have been identified, there were 1700 deaths. The estimated number in total is about 3000 Tuareg men killed in the period of only a few months, and in inhuman circumstances. Many were tortured to death, and others flatly executed after being captured. Contrary to what was said, it’s the Tuareg who liberated the south of Libya from the grip of the loyalist forces of Qaddafi. Just after that, say in September 2011, we decided to return to Mali. We were about some 3,000 men on board 500 terrain vehicles, packed with light and heavy weapons and ammunition. The trip took place in several convoys and lasted for days. We crossed the Niger, to arrive in northern Mali.
“I think it’s a myth that Tuaregs worship Qaddafi.”
Lamine Ag Billal has a problem with the former Libyan government, which by his own admission, gave him a home, education, a career and status. He stated it was a dream come true, a heaven on earth.
So what is one to make of his attitude?
“The estimated number in total is about 3000 Tuareg men killed in the period of only a few months, and in inhuman circumstances. Many were tortured to death, and others flatly executed after being captured.”
Tuareg were tortured and murdered by Libyan rebels, not “Gaddafi loyalists”. Gaddafi protected the Tuareg and gave them sanctuary.
“September 2011, we decided to return to Mali. We were about some 3,000 men on board 500 terrain vehicles, packed with light and heavy weapons and ammunition. The trip took place in several convoys and lasted for days. We crossed the Niger, to arrive in northern Mali.”
How could they have all that equipment unless they were with NATO?
“Contrary to what was said, it’s the Tuareg who liberated the south of Libya from the grip of the loyalist forces of Qaddafi.”
The Tuareg attacked forces fighting to defend Libya from NATO?
Tous contre les Touareg du MNLA!
http://tamazghaparis.free.fr/spip.php?article558
And, I would add “Les Touareg du MNLA contre tous!”
Interestingly, in this http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=630156 (Chad ACTUS/PRPE Party Offers Support to Mali CNRDRE/MP22) article full of “anti-imperialist” and “anti-NATO” phrases, which condemns MNLA itself and Tuareg fight for Azawad, there’s part which supports Captain Lamine Ag Billal statements.
“African patriots should oppose the proposed re-colonization of African countries (Mali and Algeria) by the imperialists who are quick to ally themselves with AQIM for the needs of the case as confirmed by the Algerian newspaper “Expression” in its release of March 29, 2012:
“Bamako (Mali) suspects Paris (France) of having reached a “deal” with the MNLA (National Liberation Movement of Azawed). This rebellion (of MNLA) was immediately condemned by ECOWAS, the African Union (AU) and the United States. But not explicitly by France or the European Union (EU). In addition, while heavy fighting took place in northern Mali, the French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said on Feb. 7 before the French Senate: “The Tuareg rebellion has recently won significant military victories north of the river Niger. (…) A cease-fire immediately is imperative for us.”
Expression adds that a contract was concluded between France and the MNLA to reinforce its weapons from the arsenals of Libya “if the MNLA left southern Libya, France would help most of its claims in Mali. In addition, Paris had seen to it that Niamey (Niger) closed its eyes to the movement of the convoy of Ag Najem towards northern Mali.”
Indeed, there is such article in L’Expression: “Bamako suspecte Paris” – http://www.lexpressiondz.com/internationale/150994-bamako-suspecte-paris.html
It seems that you support Tuaregs and independent Azawad only if they are willing to keep dieing for Qaddafi. My position is to support State of Azawad regardless of MNLA affiliation with and affection for Qaddafi.
I’ve provided many links to articles which show that MNLA are only interested in independence of secular Azawad, against al-Qaeda and other criminals.
Which Tuaregs do you support? Some imaginary pro-Qaddafi army? Some non-existant “anti-imperialist” Tuareg fighters other than MNLA? Which group is that?
Find one Amazigh-Tamazgha-Tuareg web site that opposes MNLA and Azawad, and I’ll capitulate.
“Tuareg were tortured and murdered by Libyan rebels, not “Gaddafi loyalists”. Gaddafi protected the Tuareg and gave them sanctuary”.
I agree. But, those days are gone. Now it’s time for independent Azawad.
“Fortunately for the Tuareg”, I don’t believe that global anti-nationalists (in the name of anti-imperialism – contradictio per se) are relevant for the national revolution of oppressed Tuareg people and they cannot prevent independence of Azawad, which is currently placed into imperialist-made Mali.
MALI USING TUAREG MILITIAS TO COMBAT TUAREG REBELS
Lamine Ag Billal only revealed the fact that the Malian Tuaregs in Libya decided to go back to their homeland and fight for independent Azawad after they came to conclusion that further Tuareg dieing for Jamahiriya would be useless. “We knew that his regime would fall. It was only a matter of time”, Ag Billal said. If his words are true, it reads that Tuaregs begun to mind exclusively their own business only after they realized that Qaddafi’s fall (and death) was imminent.
“The estimated number in total is about 3000 Tuareg men killed in the period of only a few months, and in inhuman circumstances” and “in September 2011, we decided to return to Mali. We were about some 3,000 men on board 500 terrain vehicles” are statements that show that only half of all Tuareg fighters has managed to survive the war in Libya.
You would be happier if they would have all been killed? If they were killed, in useless and lost fight, there would be no present rebellion, no MNLA and no Azawad. And there wouldn’t be this debate. It’s so easy to incite others to die for “anti-imperialism” and criticize them, from safe distance, for not doing so, but Tuaregs have their own grievances and cause to die for.
So what if they agreed, whether with French, or NTC armed gangs, or both, to pull out? What could remaining 3000 Tuaregs do more for Jamahiriya after fall of Tripoli?
“But we knew that someday we would return to our land to liberate it”, Ag Billal says. Tuareg hearts were crying for Azawad. Even when they were dieing for Qaddafi.
Tuaregs knew that there is no point of putting up fight since the fall of Tripoli.
This http://www.theglobaldispatches.com/articles/malis-tuareg-rebellion interview with Andy Morgan provides another great insight into Tuareg MNLA fight for Azawad. Morgan explaines:
“The Malian press have accused the MNLA (National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad) of being Libyan mercenaries but in reality they weren’t mercenaries but actually regular members of the Libyan army and had been for 20 years. For example the leader of the MNLA, Mohamed Ag Najm, was a colonel in the Libyan army. The story goes, and I need to check some of this but, it appears that there was a very well known Tuareg rebel/freedom fighter/bandit depending on your point of view called Ibrahim Ag Bahanga who was a real thorn in the side of the Malian authorities from 2006 onwards until he was defeated militarily in 2008 and exiled to Libya. There, he started to make connections with all these Tuareg officers in the Libyan army, many of whom were in the same clan and the same tribal group as he was. When the Libyan uprising started in Benghazi and things started to go very wrong for Gaddafi, Ibrahim Ag Bahanga and others persuaded some Tuareg officers in the Libyan army to defect, raid the Libyan army arsenals and take the weaponry back to Mali. I have also heard a rumour, which I have not been able to confirm, that they actually had a meeting with the National Transitional Council, the anti-Gaddafi rebels, to get their blessing for this project.
This seems the perfect way to get them out of the way…
Yes, exactly, and weaken Gaddafi’s army. So this is what they did, and throughout the autumn and summer of 2011, they were ferrying arms back into Mali. During one of these trips, Ibrahim Ag Bahanga was killed, some people say in a car accident, although he had so many enemies that it seems incredible that he could have died in a mere car accident. So what you have is a group of very experienced Libyan Tuareg soldiers, who had been trained and employed in Libya, now in the north-east of Mali with a great deal of weaponry. From about October 2011 onwards, they basically started preparing the uprising, with long meetings out in the desert where they indulged in a great deal of soul searching about what had gone wrong in previous uprisings, so as to get it right this time. What happened is that they entered into an alliance with a much younger group of Tuaregs, you might say young intellectuals, very Internet savvy young Tuaregs, who set up the National Movement of Azawad, the MNA [Tuareg who are behind mnlamov.net, "western puppets" some say] at the end of 2010. They eventually merged with the MNLA. This was an important move as one of the aspects that was deemed to be lacking in previous uprisings was good communications with the international media, and with the world at large. This alliance, this youth wing, if we can call it that, has been very active on the Internet since the uprising started, posting opinions, press releases and denunciations. This is a completely new development, which has led to there being a propaganda war between Mali and the MNLA, alongside the actual military operations.”
Mind the “when things started to go very wrong for Gaddafi, Ibrahim Ag Bahanga and others persuaded some Tuareg officers in the Libyan army to defect, raid the Libyan army arsenals and take the weaponry back to Mali” part.
Another evidence: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/topic,463af2212,469f2e792,4e7861382,0,,,.html
“The most prominent of the Tuareg rebel leaders, Ibrahim Ag Bahanga, was reported to have died in a vehicle accident in Tin-Essalak on August 26 after having spent most of the last two years as an exile in Libya (Tout sur l’Algérie [Algiers], August 29). [1] It was widely believed in Mali that Ag Bahanga was preparing a new rebellion with weapons obtained from Libyan armories (Nouvelle Liberation [Bamako], August 17; Ennahar [Algiers] August 27)…”
“…Ag Bahanga returned to Libya, where he became an active recruiter of Tuareg fighters from across the Sahel when the Libyan revolution broke out in February (L’Essor [Bamako], August 29). One returning fighter described seeing Ag Bahanga fighting with loyalist forces at Misrata: “He was with many former rebels from Mali. They were fighting hard for Qaddafi” (The Atlantic, August 31)…”
“…In an interview conducted only days before his death, Ag Bahanga expressed discontent with his one-time patron, offering what might be a bit of revisionist history: “The Tuareg have always wanted Qaddafi to leave Libya, because he always tried to exploit them without any compensation… The disappearance of al-Qaddafi is good news for all the Tuareg in the region…We never had the same goals, but rather the opposite. He has always tried to use the Tuareg for his own ends and to the detriment of the community. His departure from Libya opens the way for a better future and helps to advance our political demands… Al-Qaddafi blocked all solutions to the Tuareg issue… Now he’s gone, we can move forward in our struggle” (El Watan [Algiers], August 29). Ag Bahanga, who at one point had unsuccessfully offered to turn his rebel movement into a transnational security force capable of expelling al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) from the Sahel/Sahara region, also came out against AQIM’s Salafi-Jihadists: “Our imams advocate and educate our youth and families against the religion of intolerance preached by the Salafists, which is in total contradiction with our religious practice. In fact, on an ideological level, the Salafis have no control over the Tuareg. We defend ourselves with our meager resources, and we envision a day soon be able to bring Bamako to account” (El Watan, August 29).”
Agree with Ag Bahanga or not, but now when Qaddafi is gone, this is so far the most successful Tuareg rebellion ever. First time in history that Tuaregs actually dared to declare independent Republic of Azawad.
More on Ag Bahanga here: http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=36221&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=13&cHash=d8f1a61764. He was a Tuareg nationalist long time before war in Libya and MNLA uprising in Azawad broke up.
“Support for the MNLA amongst Tuaregs is quite broad, partly as a result of the MNA’s propaganda and certainly before this latest conflict happened, I got the feeling from talking to various friends, that a lot of Tuaregs felt that at last they had a rebel organization that was worthy of their cause. However they do not represent all Tuaregs by any means, and even less, all the people living in the north of Mali, where there are quite a number of different ethnicities apart from the Tuareg, including Arabs, Songhai and Peulh. All I can say is that it’s been along time since a rebel movement has enjoyed the level of support that the MNLA have, but this support is by no means universal”. Perhaps not universal, but overwhelming for sure.
I can offer some links to web-pages created years before current Tuareg uprising in Azawad took place in January 2012:
http://azawad-union.blogspot.com/2007/01/tous-les-cadres-du-nord.html
http://touareg-jeunesse.blogspot.com/2010/11/mouvement-national-de-lazawad-une.html (predecessors of http://mnlamov.net)
http://touaregmaroc.blogspot.com/2008/07/azawad-libre-interview-de-hassane.html
http://www.temoust.org/comprendre-la-rebellion-touareg,10627
http://moussa-blog.azawadunion.com/post/2007/05/07/LE-CONGRES-MONDIAL-AMAZIGH-CMA-DEFEND-LES-TOUAREGS (old blog by Moussa Ag Assarid, current MNLA spokesman in Paris)
…and so on. MNLA has nothing to do with imperialism. It is what it says it is:
Mouvement National de Liberation de l’Azawad. Best bet that Tuaregs ever had.
Independent Azawad! Victory to MNLA!
“Qaddafi let us to take all the weapons and telecommunications and transport equipment we needed. ”
“in September 2011, we decided to return to Mali. We were about some 3,000 men on board 500 terrain vehicles, packed with light and heavy weapons and ammunition. The trip took place in several convoys and lasted for days. We crossed the Niger, to arrive in northern Mali.”
Who were they working for when they murdered Resistance forces and Libyan civilians?
These painful questions have to be answered.
A Libyan victory would have protected Africa from further imperialist advances and given the Tuareg a greater chance of success for independence.
You can’t fight the globalists separately. There has to be a solid, united front. In all the years they spent with Muammar they failed to learn this simple lesson.
It’s like listening to the complaints of the rebels in Franklin Lamb’s report, Bad Moon Rising Over Great Sirte Bay.
It leaves you asking, “What for the love of God were these months of gratuitous and immoral NATO carnage all about?”
“Tuaregs from Azawad (Mali, if you like) didn’t murder Resistance forces and Libyan civilians. Some 3000 of them simply pulled out of war – after 3000 Tuareg fighters already died for Qaddafi – and went back to Azawad.”
But they did according to your quote Miro,
“Contrary to what was said, it’s the Tuareg who liberated the south of Libya from the grip of the loyalist forces of Qaddafi.”
Liberated means they killed them. How many defenders of Libya died by their hands?
You keep saying nothing matters because the war’s over but it isn’t over and how these people betrayed Libya does matter.
The MNLA condemned Gaddafi’s non-existent attacks on Libyan civilians.
There’s a fine line between looking out for self-interest and outright lying.
“Highly convinced of the right of all people to demonstrate peacefully, we condemn the crackdown by government forces during the early hours of demonstrations in Libya.”
That’s colluding with NATO.
http://en.toumastpress.com/opinion/619-the-tuareg-and-libyan-crisis-.html
Or this:
“In order to travel to Libya, I had to rely on my brothers-in-arms who have been fighting since February in order to topple the regime of the Tripoli dictator. They invited me to go to Libya in order to share with me the great joy which they have been feeling for several weeks. For my part, I was determined to demonstrate my passionate commitment to and support for the war waged against Al-Qadhafi and his regime by paying a visit to the homeland of the Amazigh people in order to express my solidarity with and support for their struggle.”
http://www.tamazgha.fr/A-dream-journey-to-the-Amazigh.html
It goes on,
“I stayed the whole day of 26 July in Ifran where I visited several villages. I realized that I was in Adrar n Infusen and I had to enjoy the scenery. On the way, I was able to see the damage caused to the villages of Ifran by Al-Qadhafi’s troops.”
“At the beginning of the uprising in February, the youths of Ifran besieged the building. They destroyed the propaganda monument and seized the control of the building which is being now turned into a centre for debate and free expression, as, in fact, its name indicates. Inside Taddart n Tlelli there is an exhibition of various weapons used by Al-Qadhafi soldiers in their attacks against the population.”
“We visited an Arjan, an ancient underground dwelling where women and children, in particular, seek shelter when Al-Qadhafi soldiers fire their GRAD rockets which target homes.”
“Al-Qadhafi and his family belong to the past and nothing can justify any kind of negotiations with this tyrant and his mercenaries. The Imazighen of Adrar n Infusen wish only for one thing : For Al-Qadhafi to see the country free of his dictatorship and to see Tamazight flourish. Al-Qadhafi has always oppressed and denied the existence of the Amazigh people, let alone their language.”
Tuareg revolutionaries or NATO propagandists? Now they will bring death to Northern Mali and start a war in all the other bordering countries. What’s to support in that?
You can’t take any organization’s mission statement at face value. Everything has to be scrutinized. It’s not impossible that NATO is backing the FNLA, the MNLA, the AQIM and Ansar Dine as well as the AFRICOM coup leaders. In fact that’s ususally the way NATO works and how people are duped.
“Who were they working for when they murdered Resistance forces and Libyan civilians?”
Tuaregs from Azawad (Mali, if you like) didn’t “murder” Resistance forces and Libyan civilians. Some 3000 of them simply pulled out of war – after 3000 Tuareg fighters already died for Qaddafi – and went back to Azawad.
“You can’t fight the globalists separately.”
Disagree. Tuaregs don’t have time and resources to contemplate globalist and imperialist agenda the way we do. We can’t judge them for their desire to fight for Azawad, not for Libya. Independent Azawad would at least remove one colonial and imperialist injustice in Africa.
(http://www.elwatan.com/international/3000-touareg-sont-morts-en-libye-et-3000-autres-sont-rentres-au-mali-21-04-2012-167628_112.php) of that part:
“Meetings between domestic cadres of the rebellion and the officers that arrived from Libya took place. The former wanted full independence, the later aspired more to only a better life. Finally, the strong determination was to take up arms to liberate Azawad. Conclusion was that all previous rebellions had been useless, because of lack of resources. For them, the new moment is that the rebels are in a strong position with the weapons they brought from Libya. It was therefore decided to create the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA). Iyad Ag Ghali, who is a prominent figure in the fight for Azawad, wanted to be the head of the movement (MNLA), but the Malians from Libya refused. That led him to create another group, and he was allowed to do so only after promising not to put himself against our fight”.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/9186987/British-couple-in-dramatic-Timbuktu-escape.html
“Mrs English told French television last month that the couple had decided not to abandon the town after the kidnapping. The couple said they were well treated by the MNLA, the main force in the region, which did not have an Islamist agenda.
“The MNLA are a local force that are looking for local independence because they complain that the Malian government has deprived the area of all the resources and favoured other parts of the country,” she said. “From living there I would have to say I agree with them”.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/9186987/British-couple-in-dramatic-Timbuktu-escape.html
I am cautious here because the emphasis is on Al Qaeda overtaking North Mali (plea for R2P) and although the MNLA receive “honorable mention”, when military intervention arrives, it is the Tuareg that AFRICOM will slaughter.
In a clever propaganda maneuver, this is not any different from CNRDRE-NATO-AFRICOM’s justification for the coup and their plea for intervention, which was followed by an all out declaration of war against the Tuareg.
There’s yet another group, as of yesterday:
Le Front national de libération de l’Azawad (FNLA)
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/world/13544307/new-armed-arab-group-takes-control-of-timbuktu/
They are for liberation of Azawad, but inside Mali. Amazing.
According to several sources, the National Liberation Front of Azawad (FNLA), a new armed group that calls itself secular and non-secessionist, has taken partial control of Timbuktu in northern Mali.
Besides the Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and the islamic Ansar Dine and other armed groups who took Timbuktu a new armed movement, the National Liberation Front of Azawad (FNLA), entered the heart of the City Friday, April 27, witnesses said according to AFP.
Created in April, the group does not claim to be secessionist or Islamist. “The Arabs have decided to defend their region,” said Mohamed Ould Fany, a leader of this new group, to justify their intervention, AFP reported. They are thought to be five hundred strong and heavily armed and appear to be opposed to independence.
A report in AP notes that Iyad Ag Ghali of Ansar Dine is gaining in influence and enforcing Sharia wherever he holds sway. A former diplomatic representative in Saudi Arabia he has been involved in the Tuareg revolt since 1990. Born in the northeastern town of Kidal near the Algerian border, he is a Tuareg from the Ifora tribe of the Irayakane branch of the desert nomads. He has called for the imposition of Sharia and not for independence which the MNLA support. [CLIP]
http://www.northafricaunited.com/A-new-armed-group-said-to-be-partially-controling-Timbuktu_a1315.html
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/38347
As late as April 20, MSM admits there are US troops in Mali. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120420/af-mali-us-car-crash/
Why are they there, if the AFRICOM mission has been “suspended?” My guess is that they are propping up CNRDRE.
“The military personnel were in Mali as part of a U.S. special operations training mission that was suspended after last month’s coup overthrew the country’s democratically elected president.”
If operations were suspended after the coup, why are they still there?
“U.S. Africa Command said in a statement that the cause of the crash remains under investigation. In Washington, a U.S. defense official said one of the three Americans was from U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, and the two others were assigned to U.S. Special Operations Command.”
It is no coincidence that Sanago is AFRICOM and SOA or that the coup took place when it did. Now negotiations have failed, foreign troops will not be leaving anytime soon.
There has also been an AFRICOM joint excercise taking place in N. Africa, Operation Flintlock 2012 and ATLAS ACCORD in Mali.
“FLINTLOCK – An annual exercise training small units of Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership nations in North and West Africa. (typically spring)”
“ATLAS ACCORD (Mali) – Combined joint logistics exercise highlighting logistics planning and airborne resupply. (spring)”
They’re trying to create a civil war that will be like Libya, Somalia and Sudan.
CrisisWatch N°105
http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-type/crisiswatch/2012/crisiswatch-105.aspx
Deadly clashes between Mali junta, presidential guard
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1646725/Deadly-clashes-between-Mali-junta,-presidential-guard
Mali junta overruns loyalist base in blow to counter-coup
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/01/us-mali-idUSBRE84014U20120501
Mali conflict has forced 320,000 from homes
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/365977
Then further justify intervention to save Malian women.
Women’s rights in Mali ‘set back 50 years’ by new ‘Family Code’ law
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2012/may/01/womens-rights-mali-50-years?newsfeed=true
Yesterday I read that Ansar Dine and al Qaida dominate the north now so what’s happened to the other Tuareg? They’re being accused of rape, abusing women, enforcing Sharia law, kidnapping childern to use as soldiers and instigating rebellions in Nigeria. ECOWAS sent in troops.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/03/us-westafrica-ecowas-idUSBRE8421KP20120503
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gQVGB-4Gp7HoPehRb57syA66DY3w?docId=CNG.63916c831c014c7023554c8b37a128c4.2d1
http://www.newstimeafrica.com/archives/25509
It is possible to oppose CNRDRE and support the Tuareg, without aligning with any particular organization. Opposing NATO and AFRICOM is supporting all Tuareg and all Africans.
I have noted the disparity between the MNLA foreign-based websites reporting and all other information sources. When you visit their websites you would think there is no hardship or danger for the Tuareg. So much is missing in their crafted presentation and all the Tuareg prominently featured are Europeans, not Tuareg ravaged by war and struggle in Africa. It is as if they are weaving a spell and if we believe it and cease to be watchful on behalf of the Tuareg, we betray. Genocide can happen easily and swiftly when the world is not paying attention.
I have also noted the metamorphosis of the various Tuareg groups over the years.
Tuareg rebellion (1990–1995)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuareg_rebellion_%281990%E2%80%931995%29
Arab Islamic Front of Azawad (FIAA)
Popular Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MPLA or MPA)
Revolutionary Liberation Army of Azawad (ARLA)
Popular Liberation Front of Azawad (FPLA)
National Liberation Front of Azawad (FNLA)
The Autonomous Group of Timitrine
The Autonomous Liberation Front of Azawad (FULA)
The Patriotic Movement of Ganda Koye (MPGK)
United Movements and Fronts of Azawad (MFUA)
Front for the Liberation of Aïr and Azaouak (FLAA)
Front for the Liberation of Tamoust (FLT), led by Mano Dayak
Tuareg rebellion (2012)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuareg_rebellion_%282012%29
The MNLA may believe they are fighting their own revolution but an independent Azawad is a declaration of war not only against the government of Mali, but other tribes in the North with equally legitimate land claims, and every imperialist nation with vested interests in the resource-rich area.
I support all genuine revolutionary struggles but question those that imperialists employ to further their agenda and ultimately destroy the very people they use as pawns in their proxy wars. That these events could lead to a mass genocide of Tuareg is something we must consider.
Another concern I have with the MNLA websites is their support of the NATO-orchestrated insurrection that brought down Libya, which is consistent with the stance of AQIM-Al Qaeda. However they deny their affiliation, the same groups are also claiming the Azawad. Iyad Ag Ghali leads Ansar al-Dine and colludes with the AQIM.
The following diplomatic cables reveal more about Iyad Ag Ghali and internal Tuareg divisions.
Tuareg Rebel Leader Iyad Ag Ghali Wants Overhaul Of Algiers Accords
Mali Using Tuareg Militias To Combat Tuareg Rebels
The Ansar Dine Movement And Islam In Mali
I want to know more about the relationship between the Kounta and Ifoghas who have been the leaders of the Tuareg for over 150 years and their rift with the Telemsi and Imghad.
How is this “rebellion” aligning with imperialist military objectives for Africa? It has the potential to create deep hostilities between tribes. It guarantees escalation of war, engulfing Algeria, Nigeria, Chad and onwards. It invites UN-NATO military intervention.
I do not advocate for imperialist control over Mali, but for a sovereign Africa, free of foreign interference, free of AFRICOM.
I read the article by Andy Morgan.
“For example the leader of the MNLA, Mohamed Ag Najm, was a colonel in the Libyan army. The story goes, and I need to check some of this but, it appears that there was a very well known Tuareg rebel/freedom fighter/bandit depending on your point of view called Ibrahim Ag Bahanga who was a real thorn in the side of the Malian authorities from 2006 onwards until he was defeated militarily in 2008 and exiled to Libya. There, he started to make connections with all these Tuareg officers in the Libyan army, many of whom were in the same clan and the same tribal group as he was. When the Libyan uprising started in Benghazi and things started to go very wrong for Gaddafi, Ibrahim Ag Bahanga and others persuaded some Tuareg officers in the Libyan army to defect, raid the Libyan army arsenals and take the weaponry back to Mali. I have also heard a rumour, which I have not been able to confirm, that they actually had a meeting with the National Transitional Council, the anti-Gaddafi rebels, to get their blessing for this project.”
Of the MNLA he says,
“However they do not represent all Tuaregs by any means, and even less, all the people living in the north of Mali, where there are quite a number of different ethnicities apart from the Tuareg, including Arabs, Songhai and Peulh. ”
“One of the most frequently touted names in this conflict is a Tuareg military commander called Colonel al-Hajj Gamou. He has been the Malian army’s champion in the north-east for quite a number of years and he is an Inghad, from one of these vassal tribes. Ag Gamou has been built up as the defender of the Malian cause in the north.”
http://www.theglobaldispatches.com/articles/malis-tuareg-rebellion
This article isn’t any better.
http://thinkafricapress.com/mali/causes-uprising-northern-mali-tuareg
Who is Andy Morgan?
I’m coming to this discussion late but this interview is worth listening to and maybe answers some of the questions raised.
Aminata Traore on the recent events in Mali.
Every African nation is in danger from globalization. Northern Mali belongs to many tribes. How can a minority suddenly take over, overthrowing others who have lived there for thousands of years?
In the wake of NATO’s military intervention and Muammar Gaddafi’s fall in Libya, well armed Tuareg groups have returned home to Mali and in alliance with Islamic fundamentalist group Ansar Dine, have taken over its northern region. Newsclick discusses with Aminata Traore, an author and a well-known Malian political figure to talk about the recent events in Mali.