As the Tuaregs brace for a new war to liberate the Azawad territory in what came to be called northern Mali, Algeria is watching closely, fearing a spill over into its own large and impoverished Tuareg community. The Tuaregs, an Amazigh speaking nomadic people, have been arbitrarily attached by French colonialism to Algeria, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Libya. The Tuareg have led multiple rebellions against Niamey and Bamako in the 1990s. “Every time the Tuaregs bring Bamako on its feet, Algeria intervenes to restore the Malian occupation back to the Tuareg territory,” he said. Shekka warned that increasing repression of the Tuaregs in what came to be called southern Algeria would lead to an armed uprising.

Source: The North Africa Journal October 04, 2023 14:11 UTC