Tuareg announce end of their rebellion

The Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) warned on Tuesday of hopes being pinned too high on a lasting peace in the Tuareg areas in the north of the west-African state of Niger and Mali. The evening before leaders of the armed Tuareg organisations said after talks with Libya’s head of state, Muammar al Gaddafi, that they would lay down their arms. "The chances of a lasting peace in Niger are small because the government in Niamey has shown so far no preparedness for compromise towards the Tuareg”, warned the GfbV Africa expert, Ulrich Delius. "Gaddafi is well-known for his symbolic peace initiatives, which as in the cases of Darfur and Chad have seldom been of a lasting nature.”

Only a few days ago the most important Tuareg freedom movement in Niger, the "Movement of Nigeriens for Justice” (Mouvement des Nigériens pour la Justice”, MNJ) emphasised their demand for participation of the Tuareg of 30 percent of the revenue from uranium mining on their land, said Delius. A juster share in the revenue from uranium mining is one of the most important demands of the MNJ. The government of Niger has not however given any indication that they would be prepared to conduct talks with the freedom movement.

Scepticism is also advisable in the light of the fact that it was only on the 8th August 2008 that the MNJ attacked a military outpost in Chirozérine in the north of Niger. Great excitement was also caused by the attack on the military garrison in the town of Agadez on 10th July 2008. Since the beginning of the Tuareg Revolt in the north of Niger in February 2007 the MNJ have drawn attention with spectacular attacks on military installations. Armed Tuareg had called for more aid for their people in Niger and Mali in the 90s already.

"As long as the government of Niger denies any political background for the rebellion and criminalises contacts of international aid organisations and journalists with the MNJ there is little chance of peace in Niger”, said Delius. It was only at the end of July 2008 that the authorities expelled the aid organisation "Doctors without Frontiers” from the region of Maradi because they were accused of having contact with Tuareg organisations. The well-known journalist Moussa Kaka has been held in custody since September 2007 because he wanted to provide information of the background to the concerns of the Tuareg. It is true that the judge investigating the case caused the charges to be dropped, but his release has once more failed on account of an objection by the public prosecutor.

In Mali also the situation is difficult since the Tuareg themselves are not of one mind. The chances of peace had increased here however since at the end of July 2008 26 soldiers, who had been held by the Tuareg, were released.