Tourism and human rights

Nomadic peoples have been crossing the vastness of the Sahara for ages, long before European colonial powers established borders in the area. Many travelers want to experience this unique nature and also get to know the culture of the people. Targi Seddik Mehiri of the nomadic Imuhar (Tuareg) people has been touring the vast desert in southern Algeria with small tourist groups for several years. He appreciates the curiosity of his guests: “Thank God, the people who travel with us come with a great interest in cultures. People are able to understand other people,” he said in an interview with the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP). Yet, on the other hand, he gets frustrated when small children are given presents – as, in his opinion, this would teach them to become beggars.

“It is a good thing that the Imuhar are able to show guests from other countries around. This way, they can represent their own culture and speak for themselves,” confirmed Dr. Kamal Sido, the STPs Middle East Consultant. “However, caution is needed with children, because they belong in school. If they learn that dealing with tourists is more profitable for them, they become dependent. Thus, people with good intentions can make it more difficult for the children to access education and find their way out of poverty.”

At the same time, income from tourism helps the Imuhar to keep their cattle herds. This is becoming increasingly difficult: climate change leads to droughts, and the arbitrary national borders – literally drawn with a ruler – are restricting their freedom of movement, as Mr. Mehiri continues: “We used to be dependent on being able to move around freely. For example, if there was a lot of rain in southern Algeria and not in Niger, we moved to Algeria with our animals. The new national borders prevent that, and it is a struggle to survive on dry pastures.”

The interview with Targi Seddik Mehiri from Touaregs Voyages is published in the article “Landschaften” (“Landscapes”) in the magazine “Für Vielfalt” (“For Diversity“). You can read it here for free (in German).