Tuareg Culture and News: "Human Cost of War in Niger"

In Recognition of the Genocide

This website is dedicated to the hundreds and thousands of Tuareg men, women, and children, including many whole families, who have suffered and died over the past several decades, as a result of the deliberate exclusionary practices that have deprived the Tuaregs of critically needed food relief, medical care, and development. Governments have sought to silence the Tuaregs' legitimate complaints, through intimidation, arrests, rape, torture, extrajudicial execution and massacres, and to isolate them from the media and from humanitarian aid. HERE IS A TRIBUTE to the Tuareg people who have bravely continued to struggle for justice. May their voice be heard by the whole World.

Primary Resources In English

Primary sources in English can be difficult to come by when researching Tuareg culture, since much of the literature on the Tuareg is in French. For this reason Tuareg Culture and News is making an effort to supply sources in English wherever possible.

What is a "primary resource"? ALA definition of "primary resources":

"Primary sources are original records created at the time historical events occurred or well after events in the form of memoirs and oral histories. Primary sources may include letters, manuscripts, diaries, journals, newspapers, speeches, interviews, memoirs, documents produced by government agencies such as Congress or the Office of the President, photographs, audio recordings, moving pictures or video recordings, research data, and objects or artifacts such as works of art or ancient roads, buildings, tools, and weapons. These sources serve as the raw material to interpret the past, and when they are used along with previous interpretations by historians, they provide the resources necessary for historical research."

-- American Library Association website: CLICK HERE

Tuaregs - Books in English

Bernus, Edmond (1980) Call of the Desert: The Sahara
Bernus, Edmond et al. (2006) Art of Being Tuareg: Sahara Nomads in a Modern World
Clarke, Thurston (1978) The Last Caravan
Heath, Jeffrey (2005) A Grammar of Tamashek Tuareg
Keenan, Jeremy (1977) The Tuareg: People of Ahaggar
Keenan, Jeremy (2001) Sahara Man
Keenan, Jeremy (2004) The Lesser Gods of the Sahara
Keenan, Jeremy (2007) The Sahara: Past, Present and Future
Keenan, Jeremy (2009) The Dark Sahara: America's War on Terror In Africa
King, W. J. Harding (1902, 2007) A Search for the Masked Tawareks
Nicolaisen, Johannes (1963, 1997) The Pastoral Tuareg
Norris, Harry T (1980) The Tuaregs: Their Islamic Legacy and its Diffusion in the Sahel
Prasse, Karl-G (1995) Tuaregs: The Blue People
Rasmussen, Susan (1996) Spirit Possession and Personhood among the Kel Ewey Tuareg
Rasmussen, Susan (1997) The Poetics and Politics of Tuareg Aging
Rasmussen, Susan (2001) Healing In Community: Medicine, Contested Terrains and Cultural Encounters among the Tuareg
Rasmussen, Susan (2006) Those Who Touch: Tuareg Medicine Women in Anthropological Perspective
Rodd, Francis Rennell (1926, 1966) People of the Veil

Tuaregs - Children"s Books in English

al-Koni, Ibrahim (2005) Anubis: A Desert Novel
Barber, Nicola (2007) Living In the Sahara
Davies, Stephen (2007) The Yellowcake Conspiracy
Gaff, Jackie (2004) I Wonder Why the Sahara is Cold at Night
Giraud, Herve (2005) Leila, A Tuareg Child
Karr, Kathleen (2002 ) Bone Dry
Kessler, Cristina (1999) A Story From the Desert
Low, Robert (1997) Peoples of the Desert
McKay, William (2002) Native Peoples
Moss, Miriam (2007) This Is the Oasis
Reynolds, Jan (2006) Celebrate! Connections Among Cultures
Reynolds, Jan (2007) Sahara (Vanishing Cultures)
Rocheguide, Anne (1985) My Village in the Sahara: Tarlift, Tuareg Boy
Sabbah, Ann Carey (1999) Tuaregs (Endangered Cultures)
Sandler, Michael (2005) Deserts: Surviving In the Sahara

Looking for a college term paper?

This site has all the materials you need to write a paper about Tuaregs and learn something about a culture struggling for survival in the Sahara. Can't think of a topic? Pick one of these:

- Global warming, Drought, Desertification - influence on culture change and warfare
- Poverty, Food Insufficiency, Famine, Refugees, Displaced Peoples - politics of Food Aid
- World Bank, IMF, structural adjustment, "capital flight" and corruption
- Exploitation of non-renewable resources, uranium, coal, oil, gold - government decision-making and the population's responses to environmental damage
- Rebellion, The Coming Anarchy, Chaos in Africa - is Social Collapse inevitable?
- Globalization - they were once the exotic "Blue Men" of a remote, romantic desert - now they're connected to us in Cyber Space through websites, blogs, forums and YouTube
- Development, Modernization - can Democracy survive in Africa?
- Human Rights, Ethnic conflict, ethnocide, genocide - compare with Rwanda and Darfur
- Music of exile, poetry of revolution - what are the symbols that motivate these artists and musicians?

Learn about something that's happening right now in the world! This site links you to books, articles, videos, interviews, maps, and discussion forums that provide data for term papers. To cite sources from the Internet, refer to the Modern Language Association guidelines. You can translate most website text into English by Googling for the name of the site, then click on "Translate this page."

A number of guides for writing term papers can be found on the Internet. Here are a couple:
Writing A Research Paper and MLA Formatting and Style Guide.

Where to Hear, See and Buy Tuareg Music

Click on each band to view their website
Click on each album to find it on Amazon.com

Etran Finatawa
-- Introducing Etran Finatawa (2006) CD
-- Desert Crossroads (2008) CD
-- Also appearing on: Ishumar, Tuareg Music of Resistance (2008) CD - Tiguedimma
-- FMM Festival, Sines, Portugal (2007) Video
-- Surbajo (2007) Video

Ikewan
-- Tuareg Memories (1997) CD

Inerane
-- Guitars From Agadez (2007) LP
-- Sublime Frequencies, excerpts from film (2007) Video

Koudede (group Derren)
-- Souvenirnam (Memory of You) Video
-- Alamin (My Camel) Video
-- Also appearing on: Ishumar, Tuareg Music of Resistance (2008) CD - Alamin
-- Tuareg Wedding (2007) Video
-- Alpharge Video
-- Timagiren Video
-- In concert (2007) Video

Takrist n-Akal
-- Annou Malan (1995) CD
-- Tabsiq Dalet (2003) CD
-- Afrikya (2004) CD
-- Desert Rebel (2007) CD
-- Call for Peace In Niger (2007) Video

Tamikrest
-- Listen to individual songs:
-- Aratane n-Tinariwen
-- Yahasra Adounia
-- Alwa id Nizdjam
-- Aicha
-- Desert Sessions Video
-- Aicha Video
-- Tamikrest at Kidal, Mali (2007) Video
-- Also appearing on: Ishumar, Tuareg Music of Resistance (2008) CD - Aicha

Tartit
-- Listen to individual songs:
-- Tabey Tarate
-- Ansari
-- Tihou Beyatene
-- Al Jahalat
-- Ichichila (2000) CD
-- Abacabok (2007) CD
-- Desert Blues Project (2007) Video
-- Interview with Tartit, FMM Festival (2007) Video
-- Muezzin From Tartit (2007) Video
-- Tartit with band Afel Bocoum, Prague (2007) Video

Terakaft
-- Listen to individual songs:
-- Akh issudar
-- Tenere wer tat zinc
-- Djer Aman
-- Tarha Didagh a Tat
-- Hear / Purchase their MP3 songs on Amazon MP3
-- Bismilla, the BKO Sessions (2007) CD
-- Akh Issudar (2008) CD
-- Also appearing on: Ishumar, Tuareg Music of Resistance (2008) CD - Tenere wer tat zinchegh, and Tarha didagh a tat sallam
-- Terakaft Live, Festival In the Desert (2007) Video

Tidawt
-- Hear / Purchase their MP3 song "Ariyalen" on Amazon MP3
-- Tidawt MySpace Video
-- Listen to their song "Amidinine" (My Friend)

Tinariwen
-- Radio Tisdas Sessions (2001) CD
-- Amassakoul (2004) CD
-- Aman Iman (Water Is Life) (2007) CD
-- Also appearing on: Ishumar, Tuareg Music of Resistance (2008) CD - Nezagh ajbal
-- Festival Med. Loule Portugal (2007) Video
-- Malmo, Sweden (2007) Video
-- Welcome to the Desert (2007) Video
-- From Live 8 Eden Africa Calling (2007) Video
-- With Vieux Farka Toure (2007) Video
-- Live at Lowlands (2007) Video
-- Desert Rebel, Live at Paris (2007) Video
-- Desert Rebel, Ishumars (2007) Video

Toumast
-- Ishumar (2007)
-- Also appearing on: Ishumar, Tuareg Music of Resistance (2008) CD - Ammilana
-- Toumast Niger (2007) Video
-- Toumast Paleo (2007) Video
-- Toumast Live, Botanic Nights Brussels (2008) Video
-- WOMEX, Sevilla, Spain (2007) Video

VARIOUS ARTISTS:

Ishumar, Tuareg Music of Resistance (2008) CD
1. TERAKAFT : Tenere wer tat zinchegh
2. TINARIWEN : Sawt el-wahuch (le chant des fauves)
3. HASSO AKOTEY : Djedahi idji saman
4. HAMID EKAWEL : Mahi igdalan amerdeless
5. Mohamed Ag Itlal dit JAPONAIS : Zinesdjou merghdem
6. Omar Moctar dit BAMBINO : Imuhar
7. ETRAN FINATAWA : Tiguedimma
8. KOUDEDE : Alam’i
9. TINARIWEN : Nezagh ajbal
10. TERAKAFT : Tarha didagh a tat sallam
11. TAMIKREST : AÏcha
12. TOUMAST : Ammilana

Festival In the Desert (2003) CD

Lyrics to "Tanakra" and "Tezirzeit"

TANAKRA

Yallawate ayimanine yofa Nikar, Yallawate ayimanine yofa Nikar, Daw tickma tadagh nidar. Daw tickma tadagh nidar.
Tillé tagmé toumast tada tirbate, Tillé tagmé toumast tada tirbate,
Tissirtayate tanate id zinga. Tissirtayate tanate ID Zinga. Tahoudé ighane wouksane digue ténéré , Tahoudé ighane wouksane dike ténéré,
Ezni yalane, Ezni yalane,
D’infasse yalane, yin chatmassane. D'infasse yalane, yin chatmassane.
Kharare wakalane adobetou, Kharare wakalane adobetou,
Niger tissane , tiguiyate iss fourwane, Niger tissane, tiguiyate iss fourwane,
Niger tissane ,tiguiyate iss tezirzeit. Niger tissane, tiguiyate iss tezirzeit.

THE AWAKENING

O People, wake up from this despotic and disgraceful yoke you've submitted to!
Wake up to the ills and injustices that are strangling you!
Let that part of you that was lost finally find the path of justice!
Why are there still lost souls who can't sleep and who continue to live unaware?
The lions who revolted in the Tenere [desert],
They have sworn that their souls and their blood belong to the happiness of their sisters.
They can defend the cause for which they have set their goals, and achieve justice in this country.
Niger has pretended not to see it, but they know, they have witnessed what happened at Iférouane and Tezirzeït.

TEZIRZEIT

As nihirar tezirzeit nack d’ayitma
As nihirar tezirzeit nack of ayitma
As hin nigla, guirid nilhoum.
As hin nigla, guirid nilhoum.
Yihirack hayoun d’rpg mitwi nitafte yidiwanatte.
Yihirack hayoun of rpg mitwi nitafte yidiwanatte.
Nismantasse arba taguache, nisdargane ,
Nismantasse arba taguache, nisdargane,
Medane niger issilamane imane nassane.
Medane niger issilamane Raman Hui nassane.
Tassasskote nimgharene ahin nogaze, youn niglanine ichouhada.
Tassasskote nimgharene ahin nogaze, youn niglanine ichouhada.

These are the lyrics of an MNJ fighter for Justice, who participated in combat at Tezirzeit:

When we liberated Tezirzeït, me and my brothers, after that we had sickness in our souls and evil in the depths of us!
The heavy and light weapons have shaken the enemy positions, the same enemies who tortured our parents and killed their livestock.
Under our strong conviction and our thirst for justice, the combatants of the armed forces of Niger went down.
They weren't able to resist, because we had a cause, and they only had one order!
What was our suffering!
What an evil feeling!
When we discovered the mass grave where they had buried our parents, who died as martyrs!

Older Tuareg News

Reuters / FOX News / Associated Press, Dakar / International Herald Tribune In a recent wave of reprisals for Tuareg-led rebel attacks, the Niger Army has sought out, arbitrarily arrested, tortured, and shot numerous Tuareg civilians, including elderly people, looted their personal belongings and burned their homes. The Army abducted several Tuareg civilians (forced "disappearances"). The Army forced civilians to drive ahead of their convoy to protect the soldiers, until the civilians were blown up by a land mine. The Niger government strongly denies it. Niger Communications Minister Mohamed Ben Omar says the Dec. 19, 2007 and April 3, 2008 Amnesty International reports on Niger Army atrocities are nothing but a "long list of lies." April 3, 2008

AFP/The Times, South Africa Reports that MNJ has denied losing any of their fighters in the recent battle at Gougaram, following a Niger government statement that the national army had killed "10 Tuareg rebels." MNJ says that the dead were "ordinary [Tuareg] civilians, most of whom were executed." [This lends support to the theory that the Niger government is framing Tuareg civilians that the army kills as "rebels," in order to justify extrajudicial exeutions of innocent Tuareg people.] April 2, 2008

International Herald Tribune / Voice of America / MNJ The international media are limited now to a "he said, she said" account of the ongoing rebellion in Niger; there is no independent news coverage available, since the Niger government has banned all media, human rights and aid agencies from going to the conflict area to get a first-hand report. The most recent battle at Gougaram (Air Mountains) March 29-30 was headlined by the International Herald Tribune as a victory for the Niger army, which allegedly killed 10 rebels "the army said" (IHT article, "Niger: Clashes with rebels leave 10 rebels, 5 soldiers, dead," April 1, 2008). The Tuareg-led rebels say that no MNJ members were killed, but IHT left that part out of their article. [One possible explanation for the discrepancy could be that Niamey is justifying the extrajudicial executions of civilians by framing them as "rebels."] IHT is relaying news from Niger government-sponsored national television news, and not independent, impartial news sources. While IHT also quotes some of the MNJ viewpoint from their Internet site, the headlines feature the Niger government's viewpoint, and the story details the army's pursuits, while suppressing details of the MNJ's successes. VOA neglects to report on the most recent violence, although they give an eyewitness account of one Tuareg's abuse at the hands of the army as of last December, when Phuong Tran stayed with the MNJ rebels in Niger for several weeks. (April 1, 2008)

MNJ The Tuareg-led Niger Justice Movement (MNJ) attacked the Niger army at Gougaram March 29-30 throughout the night. They report on their website that they took the town of Gougaram, and are now flying the MNJ flag there. According to MNJ, they destroyed 4 army vehicles and their occupants. MNJ also claims that the Niger army had extrajudicially executed one or more Tuareg civilians in the area, by slitting their throats, terrorist-style. (March 30, 2008)

Le Republicaine Independent Niger newspaper account of the recent Niger army atrocities against Tuareg civilians at Dabaga, Tamazalak, and Tidene, in the Air Mountains, based on testimony of several citizens and eyewitness reports. Niger army persecution of Tuareg civilians, extrajudicial executions, burning of homes, looting. "The national and international community cannot continue as though nothing serious is happening in northern Niger. The embargo imposed on journalists and human rights defenders who wish to go to Agadez is nothing more than a means of impeding the testimony of atrocities committed against civilian populations." March 27, 2008

MNJ Atrocities at Dabaga: The Tuareg-led Niger Justice Movement report on their website that they inflicted losses on the Niger army, pursuing them all the way from Tidene to Dabaga, near Agadez. The Niger army took revenge on Tuareg civilians. At Dabaga, the army extrajudicially executed 5 civilians, including 40-year old Mouhmoud Alane whose throat was sliced open by the army soldiers. Two other civilians were taken prisoner by the army. The army burned 43 Tuareg homes, including the home of the elected mayor of Dabaga, as well as the home of a community counselor. Soldiers looted these people's homes before burning them, and took their personal possessions. They burned one vehicle and 12 motor scooters belonging to Tuareg gardeners at Dabaga. The national army extorted 700,000 CFA francs from the women's cooperative members, and then burned the cooperative building. The soldiers destroyed 6 familys' farm plots. The army also killed 60 livestock animals. (March 27, 2008)

MNJ The Niger army took further revenge for their defeat at Tamazlak, after burning the homes of 7 families there, by murdering two innocent Tuareg youths and burning the Land Rover of a Tuareg transporter at Tamazlak, and burning the homes of four families in a nearby small village, Sakafat. At Tidene (where deceased Tuareg rebel leader Mano Dayak's family lives), the Niger Army stole 13 lambs from an elderly woman, and arbitrarily arrested several elderly people, including the brother of the tribal chief. The Niger government refers to the MNJ as "bandits," but MNJ claims the real bandits and criminals are the Niger power elites who control the army. Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have documented similar previous human rights abuses by the Niger army (Dec. 19, 2007), but no world powers such as France have exerted pressure on the Niger government to cease such abuses, because they do not want to jeopardize their economic interests in the uranium and oil resources in Niger. March 22, 2008

MNJ Following their defeat at the hands of Tuareg-led MNJ rebels, the Niger army sent more troops to Tamazlak (see March 20, below), not to confront the rebels in face-to-face combat, but to take revenge by burning the homes of innocent Tuareg civilians in this small village, according to a report on the MNJ website. Since the Niger government has a ban (under the threat of the death penalty) on impartial reporting on the rebellion in Niger, there has been no independent news coverage. International news sources merely relay what Niger government officials are willing to release; the government's position has been to downplay or deny that there is a rebellion, and is therefore biased and unreliable. Human rights agencies are not permitted to visit the conflict area to assess abuses. March 21, 2008

World Politics Review Recent analysis of the situation in Niger, by John Liebhardt. March 20, 2008

Khaleejtimes Hassan Fagaga, leader of the Tuareg rebel forces in Mali, offered helpful information on the whereabouts of two Austrian tourists who were kidnapped by the GSPC in Tunisia Feb. 22. Fagaga, who has vowed to keep GSPC elements out of Tuareg rebel-controlled regions in the far north (March 6, 2008, see below), believes the GSPC is holding the tourists where it has taken refuge among Arab tribes to the southwest, around Timbuktu. GSPC (Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat) is an Algeria-based extremist offshoot of Al Qaeda (since 2006), and are now known as Al Qaeda in the Maghreb, AQIM. The Tuareg people are moderate Muslims and are opposed to extremist elements. March 20, 2008

MNJ Tuareg-led MNJ rebels in Niger engaged in face-to-face battle with the Niger army at Tamazlak in the Air Mountains, 68 miles north of Agadez, about ten miles from the Agadez-Arlit road. The MNJ website claims they destroyed/burned three 4WD army Toyotas and one army fuel tanker, and soldiers inside the vehicles were injured or killed, with no losses to MNJ troops. MNJ offers condolences to the soldiers' families; the battle was still underway at 6 AM this morning. International news sources have not yet provided the Niger government's account. March 20, 2008

MNJ / AFP Tuareg-led MNJ rebels attacked the military post at Banaibangou, just 125 miles north of Niger's capital, Niamey. The attack began at 7 PM March 16, resulting in the death of 3 Niger army soldiers; MNJ took a policeman hostage, along with 2 vehicles and all of the weapons at Banibangou. MNJ stayed several hours after the attack in conversations with the local people who thanked them, according to MNJ. AFP, relaying the government's official stance, said that those killed were a soldier and a policeman, and that another policeman was "missing"; the Niger government also claimed that several rebels were either injured or killed, and that they fled. March 17, 2008

MNJ Blog / Reuters / Herald Tribune Tuareg rebels in both Niger and Mali have released military hostages, following mediation by Libya (and Algeria in the case of Malian rebels). On Friday, March 7, Malian Tuareg rebels released 22 soldiers they had held hostage since last August. On Sunday, March 9, Tuareg-led MNJ rebels in Niger released 25 military hostages, including the Prefet of Tanout, to mark the (MNJ) Niger Justice Movement's one-year anniversary. MNJ acknowledged Libyan leader Gadafi as a "partner in Dialogue and Peace in Africa." March 11, 2008

VSD (French News, video report) French reporters Jean-Luc Manaud and Antoine de Toumemire made a clandestine visit to MNJ headquarters at Tamgak after the January 21 MNJ raid on Tanout that took the Prefet of Tanout prisoner, apparently in February or early March. Footage of MNJ soldiers and candid scenes, including Aghaly ag Alambo (dark turban, green camouflage, center) seated among MNJ's military prisoners and talking with them calmly -- next to Alambo is the somewhat unsettled-looking but nevertheless apparently healthy Prefet of Tanout (beige coat, bright blue scarf, left). Commentary is in French; says MNJ feeds their prisoners first, an example of Tuareg hospitality. March 11, 2008

ElAkhbar Malian Tuareg rebel movement Commander Hassan Fagaga says they will intercept and eliminate any GSPC elements that attempt to infiltrate areas of Mali controlled by Tuareg rebels. March 6, 2008

GlobalPolitician David Jonsson, political writer, in his article "Establishing the Islamic Kingdom of God In Kenya," continues to refer to Tuaregs in his writing, implicating them as vulnerable to Islamic extremism ("The Plot Thickens") as evidenced by a speech Gaddafi gave to a handful of Tuaregs last year about his vision of establishing a second Shi’ite Fatimid state in North Africa. March 6, 2008

Agadez-Niger Forum - There have been many arbitrary arrests of Tuaregs around Tchighozrine recently. Posted by Goloum, March 4, 2008

Agadez-Niger Forum - The Niger army arbitrarily rounded up the entire population of Tuareg men, women and children who happened to be at the Boukoki livestock market and took them to the National Gendarmerie (jail). The jail could not hold them all, so they were made to sit outside in the sun awaiting their fate. Other groups of Tuaregs around the area were searched by the police assisted by the army. Has Tandja's man-hunt started? Where are the Human Rights groups and journalists? Posted by Miriama Kimbiri, March 3, 2008

AllAfrica - The Niger government denied a visa to Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Robert Menard so that he could visit their Nigerien correspondent, Moussa Kaka, who has been in prison since September 20, allegedly for being in complicity with Tuareg rebels as evidenced by phone calls he made to them to get a news story on the rebellion (impartial reporting on the rebellion is forbidden in Niger). March 3, 2008

MNJ Blog - The Niger army murdered three innocent Tuareg camel herders at Gougaram (a village in the northwest Air Mountains). MNJ issues a plea to the international community to help stop the Niger government's continuing acts of savagery against civilian populations. March 1, 2008 23:39.

Voice of America - According to Acharif ag Mohamed El Moktar, Tuareg MNJ rebel, the U.S. Trans Saharan Counterterrorism Partnership has worked with African governments to train the military and police, but has not included the very people who are most capable of intercepting terrorists in the central Sahara - the Tuaregs, who are also the ones most affected by the threat of terrorism. The U.S. counterterrorism partnership is funded up to $100 Million through year 2010. Why doesn't the Niger government provide some development and economic aid to the Tuaregs, and get them involved in the counterterrorism initiative, since terrorism is a major concern for Tuaregs, and they are best equipped to detect it and fight it? Feb. 28, 2008

The Statesman (Ghana) - Pres. John Kufuor of Ghana is going to be part of United Nations / ECOWAS consultations to bring peace to Mali, Niger and Mauretania where there are rebellions. The article claims that the Tuareg rebels have increased their attacks, "despite attempts by the governments of these countries to dialogue." This seems patently erronious in the case of Niger, since it has been well-established via media reports that Pres. Tandja of Niger has doggedly refused to talk about the issues that led to the current Tuareg rebellion in Niger. Feb. 28, 2008

Voice of America - Former customs officer Mohamed Ekisi thinks that impoverished Tuaregs have taken to smuggling in order to survive, and he suspects that there are a few Tuaregs smuggling cocaine across the desert, from Algeria to Sudan. Although the rebels are not involved in smuggling, the traffickers can bribe them so they can move through the desert undisturbed, in the opinion of Ekisi. In general, though, "rebellions are not a good thing for traffickers," because the rebels can intercept them. Feb. 27, 2008

MNJ Blog - The Niger army slaughtered 10 camels that were being herded by a young Tuareg shepherd who brought them to drink water near the well at Iferouane. [This destroyed the base of food production of an entire extended family.] Feb. 12, 2008

Al Jazeera Special on Tuaregs

Al Jazeera (news source based in Doha, Qatar) Last year, reporters May Welsh and Alex Sehmer made a daring trip into Niger, a country whose government has banned reporting on the Tuareg conflict, to obtain interviews and video coverage of the situation in northern Niger's conflict zone. They have devoted a series of articles and videos focused on the conflict. "Unrest In the Sahara." Click on the title of each article or video to access them:

Videos:
Niger's Nomad Army (July 14)
Desertification Threatens Niger's Nomads (July 15)
Niger's Natural Wealth Exploited (July 16)
Human Cost of War in Niger (July 17)
Endangered Minds of Niger's Future Generation (July 18)

Articles:
Who Are the Tuareg? (July 14)
Niger's Nomads Fight for Rights (July 14)
Foreigners Vie for Niger's Riches (July 14)
Are Foreign Firms Exploiting Niger? (July 14)
Shifting Sands of Tuareg Fortune (July 15)
Follow Al Jazeera's Journey through Niger