What is the Tuareg rebellion?
From 1991 to 1997 different Tuareg groups were active in an armed struggle against the Government of Niger, demanding greater political autonomy and development funds for Niger’s north western regions, inhabited by Tuaregs.
What race are the Tuareg?
The Tuareg people (/ˈtwɑːrɛɡ/; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym: Imuhaɣ/Imušaɣ/Imašeɣăn/Imajeɣăn) are a large Berber ethnic group that principally inhabit the Sahara in a vast area stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern Algeria, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
Where do the Tuareg originally come from?
It is believed that the Tuareg are descendants of the North African Berbers, and that they originated in the Fezzan region of Libya. They later expanded into regions bordering the Sahara, bringing local farming peoples into their own society.
Who are the Tuareg and what are they known for?
The Tuareg are a group of Berber clans of obscure origin. Legend states that under their first queen, Tin Hinan, they moved into the Sahara around 400AD. During medieval times, the Tuareg dominated lucrative trade routes across the desert.
Who won the the Tuareg rebellion?
Tuareg militant leader, Ibrahim ag Bahanga, fled to Algeria. Some 700 Tuareg militants surrendered to the Malian government on February 17, 2009.
Why did the Mali war start?
Despite historically having difficulty maintaining alliances between secular and Islamist factions the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad allied itself with the Islamist groups Ansar Dine and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and began the 2012 Northern Mali conflict.
Why do Tuareg wear blue?
Tuaregs wear dark blue clothes aim at reducing the effect of UV radiation from the Sun. Also, they always have a cloth around their mouth and nose to keep a moist flow of air as they breathe.
Are Tuaregs Muslims?
The Tuareg people are about 2 million nomadic people who live across the Sahara Desert, including in the North African countries of Mali, Niger, Libya, Algeria and Chad. The Tuaregs are part of the Berber group of people, and they are largely Muslim.
Why do Tuareg men wear a veil?
The Tuareg tribes’ men wear veils instead of the women. It is used to protect them from the sand and sun. It is also worn during meals, in front of strangers and women. The Tuareg inhabit Sahara Africa, mostly in Libya, Algeria, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.
Are Tuaregs Arabs?
It is FALSE. The Tuaregs are Berbers who live in the central Sahara and its neighboring regions: Algeria, Libya, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. They speak the Tuareg language (Tamachek) and use a Latin Berber alphabet called tifinagh.
What makes Tuareg people unique?
Even though they have retained the language and many of the customs of their Berber ancestors, the Tuareg have developed a unique culture of their own, a genuine synthesis of many traditions, including not only Berber and Arab, but also elements from indigenous peoples who reside in the Sahel.
What is African Sahel?
The Sahel, the vast semi-arid region of Africa separating the Sahara Desert to the north and tropical savannas to the south, is as much a land of opportunities as it is of challenges.
Who are the terrorists in Mali?
There are a number of terrorist groups active in the region. These include JNIM, Islamic State West Africa (ISWA), Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Al Murabitoun, Ansar Dine, Katiba Macina and Boko Haram.
Why has France pulled out of Mali?
After ties ruptured between Paris and the junta that took power in Mali in August 2020, the French began to withdraw its troops in February, as jihadist violence surged in the Sahel.
What is the traditional Tuareg food?
Tuareg cuisine is as austere as its desert surroundings. Meat is a rarity. Milk and milk products from camels and goats are the norm. Camel’s milk with dried dates or a millet porridge with a butter sauce are typical dishes.
What do the Tuareg eat?
NUTRITION. Bread, meat, water and milk are the basic elements of Imuhar (Tuareg) nomads’ diet. Normally, in the morning, adults drink only green tea with sugar. At noon, they eat bread dipped in milk and in the evening bread dipped in tomato sauce (sometimes with meat).
What do Tuareg call themselves?
The Tuareg call themselves the Imazghan, meaning “free people.” Today they are known for a distinctive dark blue turban worn by the men, and for their long history as gatekeepers of the Sahara Desert.
Why are the Tuareg called blue people?
They have been labeled “The Blue People” for centuries because of their fabulous flowing turbans and robes. The indigo dye rubs off on skin, leaving a blue cast. Tuareg clans move around in a harsh climate, and their nomadic travels are determined by the seasons and the environment, not political boundaries.
Why is it called Sahel?
The term “Sahel” is borrowed from the Arabic name for the region, الساحل al-sāḥil. Sāḥil literally means “coast, shore”, which has been explained as a figurative reference to the southern edge of the vast Sahara.
What is the difference between the Sahel and the Sahara?
Sahel, Arabic Sāḥil, semiarid region of western and north-central Africa extending from Senegal eastward to Sudan. It forms a transitional zone between the arid Sahara (desert) to the north and the belt of humid savannas to the south.
Is Mali an Arab country?
Mali is not considered part of the Middle East – it’s in West Africa – and “al-Qaeda type individuals” doesn’t seem like best way to describe the rebels who have, in fact, seized the country’s northern half.
What is the main religion in Mali?
Muslims
According to statistics from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Worship, Muslims constitute an estimated 95 percent of the population. Nearly all Muslims are Sunni, and most follow Sufism; however, one prominent Shia imam stated that as many as 10 percent of Muslims are Shia.
Why French army is in Mali?
The French army initially intervened in Mali in 2013, in Operation Serval, after northern Mali was taken over by Islamist militant groups in 2012. Operation Serval was replaced by the anti-insurgent Operation Barkhane in 2014. Operation Barkhane will now be based in Niger.
Why do the Tuareg wear blue?