One of the many forgotten conflicts that has been blighting the peace and stability of Africa in the past 40 years came to a dramatic end on March 27th 1996 when 3000 rifles and handguns were burned in a symbolic 'Flame Of Peace' in Timbuktu. This flamboyant gesture left the Touareg people, whose ancestors had lorded over the southern Sahara for millennia, with a bitter sweet taste in their mouths. Few could deny that the cessation of open hostility in a bitter guerrilla war which had cost thousands of lives, trashed the old fabric of social and economic life and unleashed the ugliest forms of racism and inter-ethnic rivalry was a long-awaited boon. On the other hand, many veteran fighters and displaced civilians could not help asking why it was their arms and not those of the Malian army which were burning in that pyre of peace. As far as they were concerned, there was absolutely no doubt who had been oppressing whom.
Like 'Eskimo' or 'Lapp', the name 'Touareg' has been imposed by outsiders. The Berber tribes of the southern Sahara refer to themselves as Imouharen or Kel Tamashek, which means 'people who speak Tamashek'. For centuries the Touareg tribes lived the lives of nomads, herding camels and goats across the vast Saharan plains in search of pasture, trading salt and slaves from black Africa up to the Mediterranean and leading their own harsh but blissfully independent existence. When the French colonised the region at the end of the nineteenth century some of their fiercest opposition came from Touareg warriors who were loath to see their ancient way of life compromised by outsiders. Needless to say, all resistance was met with the full and forceful brutality of the infamous foreign legionaries. When the French decided to grant independence to their West African colonies in the late 1950s there was some talk of creating an autonomous Saharan state with its capital in the southern Algerian oasis of Tamanrasset but thanks to the short-sighted ineptitude of both African and European nation makers the Touareg people and their ancestral lands were parcelled out among the newly created nations of Mali, Niger, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania and Chad. The Touaregs were forced to deal with the concept of borders and frontiers for the first time in their history, with grave consequences for their free-ranging nomadic way of life. They also found themselves ruled over by distant Arabs or Black Africans who seemed almost as alien and foreign as their erstwhile French overlords.
The new rulers of Mali and Niger were faced with the daunting task of forging modern nations out of the chaotic patchwork of ethnic groups which had been hastily cobbled together at independence and they pursued their goal of national unity by any means necessary, however brutal or bogus. The Malian army crushed the Touareg rebellion of 1963 with a cold-blooded ferocity that left many Touaregs pining for the relative restraint of the French. In the early 1970s a particularly severe drought forced many Touaregs to leave their traditional grazing lands and take refuge in Algeria, Mauritania and Burkina Faso. Later, Colonel Ghadaffi, recently installed as head of state in Libya, saw the Touareg problem as a useful opportunity to win a few tricks in the game of regional power politics and in 1980 he launched an appeal to all disaffected Touareg men urging them to come and join his revolutionary training camps. The magnetism of arms, know-how and financial aid was too strong to resist and many Touaregs responded to Ghaddaffi's call. In the camps they rubbed shoulders with fellow combatants from the PLO, SWAPO and the ANC and learnt about revolution, Islamism and guerrilla warfare.
It goes without saying that the political and social oppression suffered by the Touaregs, together with droughts and displacement, tore the social fabric of Touareg society to shreds. Many young men who had fled the misery to become refugees in neighbouring countries accepted paid work for the first time in their lives, as agricultural labourers, truck drivers, bakers, tourist guides and navvies. When the work dried up, thanks in part to worsening political situation in Algeria, these same men became unemployed, restless and angry. A new breed of malcontent was born called ishumar, after the French word 'chomeur' meaning unemployed person. The Ishumar were young, disaffected Touareg men who set their hearts on rebellion and revolt. The old skills and beliefs of nomadism were replaced by a broader political outlook and an ever-increasing attachment to language, literature, poetry and music. Ghaddaffi's camps were an eye-opener for the Ishumar, not only in a political sense but a cultural one too. In the depths of the southern Libyan desert they heard the rebel music of Bob Marley, Nass El Ghiwane and John Lennon as well as the rebel philosophy of Nasser, Ghadaffi and Che Guevara for the first time.
Ibrahim Ag Alhabibe arrived at one of the camps from his native region of Iforas in North eastern Mali in the early 1980s. As a boy he had witnessed the murder of his father by Malian soldiers and this experience, which was subsequently reinforced by many others, made him prime Ishumar material. Along with fellow Iforas Touaregs like Hassane Ag Attuhami, Keddou ag Ossad and Intayaden, Ibrahim started to forge a new style of Touareg music. The old instruments like the shepherd flute or teherdent lute, traditionally played by men, or the imzad fiddle and tind? drum, traditionally played by women, were discarded in favour of the electric guitar, electric bass and drums. The traditional male skills of poetical composition known as assak were used to express the pain of exile, the yearning of separation and the dream of autonomy. The Ishumar used electric instruments as a symbol of a new conscience, a visible sign of revolt against musical traditions that had less and less meaning in the new climate of exile and fear. These Iforas musicians formed a group called Taghreft Tinariwen which means 'the edification of the lands' in Tamashek. Soon their name contracted simply to Tinariwen and their fame spread throughout the region. They became the mouthpiece of a generation, the musical heroes of the Ishumar.
After soldiers from the Niger army massacred Touareg leaders in the town of Tchin Tabaraden in June 1990, what had previously been a low-level war of attrition became all out conflict. Soon afterwards, a group of young Touareg warriors attacked an army post in the northern Malian town of Menaka near the Iforas capital Kidal and the Malian army responded tenfold. Tinariwen did more than just sing about the rebellion, they actually took part in it. Keddou lead several raids on army and police posts, often armed with nothing more than the traditional Touareg touba sword, and received seventeen bullet wounds over several years of fighting. It is said that he often went into battle with Kalashnikov in hand and electric guitar strapped to his back. Despite the Peace Accord of Tamanrasset, signed in January 1991, or the National Reconciliation Pact of April 1992, the rebellion grew in intensity, reaching a murderous nadir in 1994. By that time the Malian government had skilfully turned what was essentially a struggle for freedom, resources and human rights into a bitter ethnic war, making full use of armed black African vigilante groups like the dreaded Ganda Koy to do the dirty work of terrorising Touareg civilians. Meanwhile the songs of Tinariwen spread like a flame of resistance and hope throughout the desert, passed on through generation after generation of cheap cassette recordings.
By 1995 everyone was tired of war. Prompted by the UN and other NGOs the governments of Mali and Niger began to realise that ethnic eradication was not a viable solution to the Touareg problem. It was time to experiment with decentralisation, regional autonomy and even federalism. A long and protracted series of negotiations in Tamanrasset, Bamako and Paris led directly to a brokered peace agreement and the Flame Of Peace in Timbuktu. Many of the rebel soldiers were integrated into the army or offered posts in the civilian administration. Since then, Peace has clung on to it tenuous hold despite the presence of lethally large numbers of weapons that didn't make into the peace bonfire of Timbuktu along with plenty of disaffected Touaregs who, for whatever reason, are still prepared to use them. Nevertheless, many Touaregs have come to the painful conclusion that the suffering engendered by armed rebellion has not always been justified by its accomplishments and that perhaps the international media could be a more effective weapon in the pursuit of their cause than the gun.
In order to further the new goals of reconciliation, redevelopment and international awareness a festival of music was staged in the deep desert of the Adrar of Iforas last January. It was attended by the prime minister of Mali, four foreign ambassadors, various UN mediators, the French group Lo'Jo, the English guitarist Justin Adams, about 80 Europeans including journalists and documentary makers and over 2000 Touaregs. The very presence of the Malian head of state in an area that was only recently out of bounds to all but the most hardened soldiers and officers of the law was remarkable in itself. When the prime minister arrived at the festival site in an armed convoy of 24 Toyota Landcruisers, the local Touaregs sent in their best camels ridden by their best riders in full traditional warrior garb to meet them. It was a moving and impressive display of undaunted pride intensified by Tinariwen who insisted on performing as the convoy rolled up to the main stage. Imagine Tony Blair being greeted on the first visit by an English prime minister to the Falls Road in Belfast by an unarmed IRA battalion in full regalia and a performance by Christy Moore and you should understand the emotional drama of the occasion.
Not only is Tinariwen the first of the Ishoumars' band but also the most famous. Its musicians are the lifelike legends of the contemporary Tuareg music. Nowadays, it is composed of about ten people repatriated between Kidal and Bamako.
Composer, performer, soloist and guitarist. Born around 1958 near Tessalit, as a child he witnessed his father's murder by army forces. Since then, he was exiled to Algeria. He is the founder member of the band Tinariwen. His songs are well known for being based on the political strength of his message. His productivity prevails a real inspiration on the themes of wandering and aberration. Keddou Ag OSSAD, alias Khiwaj (in memory to the legendary character of the Arabic mythology) He is a guitarist, soloist and performer too. He was born around 1962 in Timayawene. He has a florid complexion and this reflects in his stirred up playing and the huge poetic productivity of the band. Once on stage he is reputed to enhance the atmosphere to its height. That is where his nickname comes from. His military background is impressive because he contributed to the 1990 upheaval during which he nearly died several times. His fame is due to the insurgent beauty of his songs as well as to his generosity and his indestructible commitment. Today he is the only one among the musicians of Tinariwen to have enlisted in the regular Mali army.
He is a guitarist, soloist, composer and performer. Born around 1964 in the Tamasina, he took his first steps in playing the guitar in 1988. He is more serious than his friends, Abdallah is known for having sung the union and calmness when there were disagreements. He composes love songs as well as philosophical lyrics.
Guitarist, soloist, composer, performer. Born around1963 in Giljiat in the Ramasina , the Tin-Essako region. At 13 he was exiled to Algeria, Later in 1979 he settled in Lybia. In 1984, he began to play the guitar and in April 1984 he enters the band. His Asiatic physical features gave his nickname. He is known for being the best-known poet and composer of his generation. He defines himself as being thirsty for independence and freedom.
Singer, performer, percussionist. Born around 1961 near Tessalit. He followed the same path as his friends. Today, he moves around Bamako and Kidal where he performs with his band.
He is the rhythm guitarist of the band. He was born around 1961 in the Timyawens region. He began to play the guitar in 1982 and the same year he enters the band Tinariwen.
Then later came the two following women: Hanini Wallet INTIKILA - singer BOGNAS - guitarist and singer
Composer, performer, soloist and guitarist. Born around 1958 near Tessalit, as a child he witnessed his father's murder by army forces. Since then, he was exiled to Algeria. He is the founder member of the band Tinariwen. His songs are well known for being based on the political strength of his message. His productivity prevails a real inspiration on the themes of wandering and aberration.