Since March 8, Tuareg civilians, activists, and militant groups have consistently reported on the massacres. The majority of those deceased are of ‘Dawsahak’ Tuareg tribe.

The Islamic State has announced its operation in Menaka, albeit the fatalities are being blamed on rival Tuareg militants rather than civilians.

The killings also mark the start of the Islamic State’s newly formed Sahel Province, which separates its Sahelian soldiers from the West Africa Province and into its own administrative body. Previously, the organization was known as the Islamic State of Greater Sahara.

On March 1, an officer from the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA) was assassinated by the Islamic State in the town of Tamalat. The MSA retaliated by clashing with the Islamic State, killing eight of its fighters a few days later.

In retribution, Islamic State terrorists killed around 176 mostly civilians, in Tamalat town on March 8. The massacres occurred following a confrontation between Islamic State terrorists and MSA fighters.

Since the Tamalat massacre, the MSA has been engaged in a cycle of violence with the Islamic State, supported by its ally, the Imghad Tuareg and Allies Self-Defense Movement (GATIA). In response to the militias’ attempts to push the Islamic State back, the jihadists have continued to slaughter people.

Similar confrontations has happened in Mali’s Menaka region back in 2018, between the MSA-GATIA coalition and the Islamic State, though the number of civilians killed was not quite as high as it is now.

Video showing members of Tuareg community buries 400 victims of IS massacre:

Imuhagh Organization for the Sake of Justice & Equality has released a sprawling report detailing all those struggles as well as provide information on those Tuareg communities who suffer in silence, because they do not or no longer have the breath to claim equal rights and justice.

The nearly 27-page report documents detailing the most important problems facing the Tuareg in their home countries, starting with the mass killing conducted by some dictatorships state such as Niger and Mali Burkina Faso, with full tracking and monitoring of these shocking violations.

The report follows the mass killings of the Tilaberi residents in west of the capital Niamey,
and the seasonal malaria wave that has engulfed the sub-Saharan desert region in the absence of the presence of national states and international organizations, the worsening health situation and the death of large numbers of patients who are dying due to the lack of medical attention.

The report also, did not lose sight of all types of judicial corruption in many of the sub-Saharan countries including the mass detention and all unjust trails, including the fact that many detainees including children who spent many years in prison without the chance of appearing before a judge and the missing of other ones.

The report also addressed the crisis of deprivation of citizenship in the Tuareg of Libya without a permanent solution despite its effect. The report follows the violence and torture of Azawad refugees in Burkina Faso by Burkina Faso soldiers to force them to return on charges of harboring or hiding terrorist elements in the camp.

The report is supported by the testimonies of some of the victims’ families with their consent. And includes some of the organization’s most important activities over the past three years, including the translation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Tifinagh language as part of the promotion of the Amazigh culture and rights.

The report also covered some of the seminars organized by the organization in Paris and in the Azawad region to educate people about their rights and defend them. The report concluded by a list of recommendations to states and traditional Tuareg leaders on progress in protecting human rights in sub-Saharan states.

Imuhagh Organization for the Sake of Justice & Equality is an international NGO dedicated to the peaceful pursuit of human rights and fundamental freedoms for the Imunagh people of the Sahara known as the Tuareg.

Full Statement;

Security measures are part of border protection, concerning both the circulation of items and the movement of people in this vulnerable zone, but elected officials at the border are demanding that such procedures are done with the local Algerian populations in mind. 

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Demonstrations recently took place in Timiawin where inhabitants demanded access to drinking water. Representatives of the Timiawin commune openly challenged the President of the Republic in front of the daira tribunal on the difficulties that these marginalized communities face. 1000 liters of water costs 1500 DA, an unmanageable price for locals.

On June 10, residents of Tin Zawatin protested against the barbed wire fence. On June 11, representatives of the civil society addressed the wali of Tamanghasset in a formal note with a list of complaints, the barbed wire around the wadi being one of them. They asked for the reconstruction of a wall with a means of passing through and clearing the way for farmers and pastoralists in non-urbanized areas. The letter also brings up a need for better communication between local notables and security forces in order to maintain peace in the region. 

Akram Kharief, Sahel specialist, told Maghreb Element, “We set up levees, sand walls and barbed wire to avoid the infiltration of terrorist groups and to avoid them from possible suicide bombings that could occur. In the case of Tin Zawatin, the barbed wire has isolated the populations of the wadi, according to testimony.” Kharief believes that these buffer zones should take the views locals have on movement, water, and livestock into account.  The barbed wire was placed at a certain distance from the border, on Algerian territory, and compromised the land on which the inhabitants use for agriculture. The wadi is barren for most of the year, but is filled with water in the months of July and August. In the summer, it is vital for families.

An ex-military chief explains that, using military logic, the wadi is a natural barrier one ought to leave behind, forcing potential threats to cross before reaching you. From this point of view, the establishment of the defense line on the northern bank of the wadi in Tin Zawatin is an imperative combat strategy for military leadership. Residential areas adjacent to the border are targeted by terrorists because they are their preferred means of infiltrating and hitting military sites. A suicide attack killed a guerrilla soldier in the Tin Zawatin region in February. That being said, this locality is in a destitute state despite promises of development, forcing local populations to be reliant on livestock. The ex-military chief states that the interests of the people and of national security have to be in harmony.

On the other hand, those who caught wind of this news have also said barbed wire has never stopped a terrorist before. Locals contest that the barbed wire should have been situated by the administrative border, and not where it would cut off populations by the wadi. A group of people torn down the barrier. The GGF (Border Gard) and later the GIR intervened. In a video we see that the gendarmes shot fire in the air, and not directly at protesters, likely to incite fear and make people move away from the torn-down wire.

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The National Ministry of Defense (MDN) confirms a gunshot death but denies that Algerian security forces were involved in the incident. The fatality took place 225 m away from the Malian border, a complicated location and distance for it to be caused by a precise shot. There is a possibility, according to Kharief, that it was the result of a lost bullet. In any case, the victim was north of where the gendarmes opening fire were.

Many are accusing the National People’s Army for having opened fire on individuals in Ikhraben, bordering the municipality of Tin Zawatin in the 6th Military Region. All allegations have been formally denied. The MDN claims these events to be linked to persons known for suspicious activities in contraband and organized crime. According to the MDN in their press release, these nationals in question called locals to violence and had an aim of taking down the barbed wire.  

The MDN explains that at the time when the Algerian Border Guard intervened to appease the situation, unknown shots were fired from Ikhraben in the direction of the Border Guard, having hit an individual among the crowd, “who was immediately evacuated by the border guards to be taken care of by the health services, but who unfortunately died from his injuries.” To this end, the High Command of the National People’s Army “has ordered the opening of an investigation to elucidate the circumstances of this incident,” and calls “for vigilance regarding these kind of rumors and misinformation, used by hostile parties, aiming to disrupt the situation in this region.” The wounded individuals were transported to Tamanghasset.

Last March, and on the occasion of the death of a young man killed by the police while he was aboard his vehicle, seven deputies from the wilayas of Tamanghasset, Illizi and Adrar had sent a protest letter to the Prime Minister A. Djerad. Boudjemaa Balaou, elected official of the APW in Tamanghasset, released a video testimony mentioning this. They had called for better regulation of areas closed by barbed wire, a passage for farmers and ranchers, water, better procedures enacted by security authorities, and finally local development. 

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In 2018, authorities created a “special development program” for these areas. According to Lyas Hallas, the amenokal (community leader) of the Hoggar region in Tamanghasset, Idabir Ahmed, said, “I condemn these unjustified behaviors in the Tin Zawatin region.” He advised the population of Tamanghasset, and residents of Tin Zawatin in particular, to practice self-restraint and discretion. “I am in contact with the country’s highest authorities, in order to find a final solution to such abuses in the border areas.”

Imouhagh International Organization for the Sake of Justice and Transparency released this document:

Balaou recalled that in previous events in border areas, authorities had called for dialogue with local notables. That is no longer enough for the inhabitants. 

From November 30 to December 3, the 2019 MNLA (National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad) Congress took place in Kidal, under the theme of continuing a generational struggle against current conditions and striving for a better future.

A military parade took place, preparations inspected by colonel and MNLA Chief of Staff Mahamad Ag Najim, and more than 10,000 civilians attended.

110 tinted tents (ehaket), each made of between 80 to 90 sheepskins were set up. The skins are tinted by hand on red hills (tamakchoyt) and seamed together by women– a task that can take up to 3 years to finish. On the first day, the mufti of Kidal recited Surat al-Fatiha, an address was made by the amenokal of the Adagh, and speeches were made by Algerian, Libyan, Moroccan, Mauritanian, and Nigerien spokespersons as well as Ulemas. Kids gathered to cheer “Azawad harkouk!”

On the final day, the famous Tinariwen group played their new Amadjar album, opened up by Majdou, an artist from Tarbiyat, Niger, and Tamikrest. This was their first concert after many years. 

Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, or Abraybon, said to his audience regarding the opportunity to perform in Kidal again, “It’s always been my dream, I did not think it would happen in my lifetime.” In one song he sang, “Even if you see my smile, know that my heart has scars.”

Eyadou Ag Leche, bass guitarist of Tinariwen, told TV 5 Monde, “It’s like returning to family, because it’s a family we’ve abandoned for long, due to the many events that have took place in the zone…We’re very happy to be here and participate in the movement.” From the first note, the audience lit up. The intense feeling of exile was felt in the music. “We have a noble cause that we are defending,” Ag Leche said. A solution is wanted as soon as possible in order to establish peace. 

Tuaregs from the Aïr (Niger) gifted President and Secretary General of MNLA Bilal Ag Asherif a shield (imajaghan), and Bilal Ag Asherif gifted a guitar made by local artisans to Ibrahim Ag Alhabib as well as the following:

Backdrop

At age four, Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, founder of Tinariwen, witnessed the execution of his father, a Tuareg resistance fighter, during the 1963 uprising in Mali. He then lived in refugee camps near Bordj Badji Mokhtar, Algeria. He built his own guitar out of a “plastic water can, a stick and some fishing wire,” according to Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni. 

In 1979, Ibrahim Ag Alhabib formed the group with Alhassane Ag Touhami and brothers Inteyeden Ag Ablil and Liya Ag Ablil to play at parties and weddings, the same year he acquired his first real acoustic guitar. While the group had no official name, people began to call them Kel Tinariwen, which in Tamashek means “The People of the Deserts.” Later, Ag Alhabib resided with other Tuareg exiles in Libya where they joined the Tuareg resistance movement and met fellow musicians Keddou Ag Ossade, Mohammed Ag Itlale, Sweiloum, Abouhadid, and Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni.

The musicians joined together in a collective (now known as Tinariwen) in order to create music about the issues the Tuareg people face. They built a makeshift studio and vowed to record songs for free for anyone who supplied a blank cassette tape. The resulting homemade cassettes were traded widely throughout the Sahara.

In 1989, the collective left Libya and moved to Ag Alhabib’s home village of Tessalit where he hadn’t been in 26 years. In 1990 the Tuaregs of Mali revolted against the government, with some members of Tinariwen participating as resistance fighters. After a peace agreement known as the Tamanrasset Accords was reached in January 1991, the musicians left the military and devoted themselves to music full-time. You can learn more about Ag Alhabib and Tinariwen in a documentary called Teshumara.

During a joint conference with his Malian counterpart, Mahamadou Issoufou declared that “the status of Kidal is a threat to the internal security of Niger.”

On September 28, a young Tuareg activist and member of Imouhagh International was stopped in Tamanghasset by State Security for having called people to protest in front of the Malian and Nigerien consulates to support the Azawad cause.

On September 29, people took to the streets chanting “Azawad yes! CEDEAO no!”, “Azawad yes! Mali no!” and “God is great.” They stood outside the tribunal to demand the liberation of activist Lansari.

The organization Imouhagh International for Justice and Transparency tells Algerian authorities that writing an article rejecting the war in Azawad is not a valid reason for arrest. They demand the immediate and unconditional release of its activist Ahmed Lansari (Tanas). They condemn the violation of the right of expression and invite Algerian authorities to also respect national and international laws.

Tuareg refugees in Tamanrasset and the Azawad cause

Algeria is 400 km away from the border of Mali from Tamanghasset. Former Senator Othmane Ben Messaoud summarizes the dynamic between the two countries (paraphrased): “The economic relations between the Algerians of the South and the inhabitants of the north of Mali are such that all that happens on the other side of the border touches us too.”

Since the beginning of the conflict, there have been more than 30,000 Malian refugees as of 2012, 450 officially, to have sought asylum in Algeria.

Boudjemaa Balaou, APW elect in Tamanghasset, said, “However, Azawad remains the problem of Malian Tuaregs. Whether their partition project succeeds or not, it’s not our business.”

He is not the only one to score distance with his Tuareg neighbors. Yet, neither Tuaregs indigenous to Tamanghasset nor the descendants of Tuareg refugees are being sufficiently supported politically and economically. “The people of Tam are not well enough represented. Neither in the National Assembly, where they have only five seats, nor in the administration,” says Ali, a young official.  “Yet, our wilaya represents a quarter of the country!”

Algerian Authority has cancelled all the music tour dates and concerts, that was scheduled in many Algerian cities this month by Tinariwen band.

The concert was to be held in Constantine on Thursday Jan 3, Algiers, Jan 5 and Oran in west of Algeria on January 7, 2019.

The National Culture and Information office (ONCI) has released a statement on Facebook, saying that the event was cancelled due to some technical problems related to the group.

Tinariwen is a Grammy Award-winning group of Amazigh-Tuareg musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. The band was formed in 1979 in Tamanrasset, Algeria, During the 1990s the group returned to Mali, where its members originate, and in the early 2000s gained wider recognition outside of the Sahara desert region.

Madam Chair, Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,.

I am Ibrahim Mouhamadine and go by Akli, an Amazigh Tuareg native from the Tuareg land, i am speaking on behalf of Imouhagh International Organisation for the Sake of justice & Transparency.

Since the creation of the post-independence states in the Sahara in 1960s, my people, the Tuaregs, have suffered consequences of climate change. The governments of the region impose restrictive laws on us that prevent us from our sustainable living.

Madame Chair, Brothers and Sisters,.
These governments seized our land and do not allow us to follow our traditional way of living which was granted by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. For example, for more than 48 years, the Nigerien government has been poisoning our water, air and land, and restricting our herders from owning even one square meter of our own historic land in violation of article 10 and 26 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.

In addition, the Malian government does not respect the peace agreement that the Tuareg movements signed with them 3 years ago; this violates article 37 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. Meanwhile, the internationally recognized-Libyan government does not consider the Tuaregs born on Libyan soil as citizens due to their lack of social security identification, which is never made available to them, in violation of article 6 of the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.

All of these governments have failed to keep us and our land safe from marauders and terrorists, when we simply wish to live in peace with the land and our neighbors. These above mentioned-laws are against the basic rights of indigenous peoples and should therefore be abolished, so that we may live in harmony and with the same rights as other citizens. We hope that the United Nations will include the Tuareg case in its next Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples.

Madam Chair,.
We plead that the United Nations, the member states, all relevant stakeholders to work with us, indigenous peoples, to execute the 2030 agenda: Leaving no one behind.

My fellow indigenous representatives, member states:
The above-mentioned statements are crucial for the Tuaregs, the traditional and proud masters of the Sahara Desert and its caravan trade, and our lifestyle to continue living or disappear until we are completely eliminated from the face of the earth.

Thank you

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Mano led the Tuareg Rebellion in Ténéré region, northern Niger during the 1990s, He was born in Tiden valley in the Aïr Mountains in 1949 and died in a suspicious plane crash in the Adrar Chirouet region in Niger, on the 15th of December 1995, while he was in his way to meet government officials to discuss peace talks.

Mano Dayak was the group leader who led Tamoust Liberation Front (FLT) – also a member of the CRA (Coordination de la résistance armée),  and the one who opposed the peace accord with the government of Niger that was signed by another Touareg Coalition (ORA) .

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Mano’s forces continued to pound government positions from their base in the Tenere Desert, East of Agadez. and wrote a book on the Tuareg grievances  against the government of Niger.

Tuareg poet Mahmoudan Hawad won the international Argana poetry award 2017, granted by Morocco’s Bayt Achiir (House of Poetry). Hawad is an Amazigh poet, painter and author born in the Aïr region of Niger known for the method he calls” furigraphy” to create space in his poetry and to illuminate certain themes. Common themes of his work include thirst, movement, wandering, anarchy, and political themes related to Tuareg politics in the region.

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Azawad International Radio (RAI), a new public radio station broadcasting from the Mali, launched last October with the goal of providing the Tuareg community a targeted radio that provide informative, educational news and talk programmes as well as North African Amazigh music.

For more information on Azawad International Radio to sign up as a volunteer, visit www.azawad.radio.net. or their Facebook page. The station is still seeking both employees and volunteers through memberships and time. Anyone around the world will be able to listen to the station through a live streaming link available on the website.