This country existed and you probably missed the memo 😬
Yesterday’s newsletter ended with a cliffhanger: “Azawagh is a geographic distinction, Azawad is a political one. That’s where things get interesting.”
I could hear your shouts into the void: STOPPING THERE?! HOW WILL I SLEEP TONIGHT? FIE, O WRETCHED WOMAN! Hark! The wait is over.
Let’s talk about the Tuaregs and Azawad.
Tuaregs, known by outsiders as the Blue People because of their indigo robes, are nomadic herders belonging to the Berber ethnic group. Unconfined by colonial borders, they roam Algeria, Mali, and Niger. They practice Islam, but similar to the Kurds, they retain many customs, rites, and rituals that predate Islam. Tuareg believe in the presence of djinn (spirits) all around them, and their society is matrilineal.
During the height of French colonialism, Tuareg leader Alla ag Albachir refused to obey the French. A great chief and local hero, they say that when he approached a well, even the trees would move aside. In the 1960s, after the French left, his son led the Tuareg uprising against their inclusion within the state of Mali. His camel-borne warriors would swoop down from Saharan mountains to ambush army patrols, only to disappear once more in a haze of dust.
The second rebellion, rekindled in 1990, flared for six years until a ceremonial burning of weapons in the marketplace at Timbuktu. Ten years later, former rebels took up arms again, igniting a third rebellion. By this time, the insurgents were clear about what they wanted: an independent state: Azawad. Fighters realized their dream of a homeland in the uprising of 2012, declaring independence on April 6, 2012.
Sadly, the dream was short-lived. Growing concerns over radical Islamic groups across the Sahel prompted the return of the French army, and Tuaregs withdrew their independence claim on February 14, 2013.
The War on Terror conveniently allows Mali to marginalize and often violently suppress the Tuaregs. But nothing can silence the past. If history is any bearing on the the future, the Tuareg fight for Azawad is far from over.
P.S. If you loved this, go to your local bookstore and buy the atlas where it came from! It’s a great gift for kids. Each country has a recessed map, its short histories are perfect for bedtime, and you can have lively discussions about how colonial borders are SHIT. A parenting win all around.
Thanks for reading Gemini Mind! Elsewhere, you can find me as @yokizzi 💫