Meet Azawad, Africa’s Newest Country
For the time being, MNLA is focused on defeating AQIM, which it characterizes as an interloping non-Touareg element and an Algerian proxy. The MNLA leadership vows to crush it as soon as possible, if not within days.
Ever since the 1960s, the Arab states in North Africa have attempted to seize chunks of the Sahara Desert and its mineral resources: oil, natural gas, uranium, gold, bauxite, phosphates. Morocco tried to annex Mauritania, and then occupied the former Spanish colony of Rio de Oro (known now as Western Sahara). Gaddafi’s Libya was constantly interfering in Mali, Niger, and Chad. Algeria, already in control of the northern half of the area thanks to colonial France, has steadily claimed control over the southern half countries either by countering Morocco in Western Sahara or by undermining the existing governments in other places.
For a time, Algeria contended its primary concern was to fight radical Islam and to eradicate drug trafficking. As of today, the Algerian secret services seem to be aligned with both.
The core of AQIM consists of former Algerian jihadists pardoned by the Algerian government on the condition that they propagate radical Islam and terrorism in foreign countries. They were reinforced later by volunteers or mercenaries from Arab countries and sub-Saharan African countries (like Burkina Faso or Nigeria).
Clearly, AQIM’s strategy is to entice Ansar Dine to turn against MNLA. For Algeria, the creation of a fully independent Berber state on its southern border is a major threat, not just against its imperial designs on Sahara but against its very existence as an Arab-Islamic nation. Half of the Algerian population is Berber-speaking. One province, Kabylia, is entirely Berber and has started the process of secession. A Kabylia provisional government in exile was even formed last year. A domino effect may lead to the consolidation of Azawad.
On the other hand, the nastier Algeria gets with MNLA, the closer MNLA gets to the Kabyles. Azawad owes at least part of its secular and law-oriented agenda to them. And it agreed to take part last month in a pan-Berber conference in Morocco hosted by Kabyle leaders.
The French may grant some measure of help to MNLA in order to protect its sub-Saharan former colonies against Algeria. But only American support can guarantee Azawad’s independence and ensure that MNLA will get rid of its jihadist competitors.
Insufficient information to commit the U.S. to another war, this one in Africa. I, frankly, see no great benefit to our national interests to go to war. A glance at the map will show that the only effective way to support Azawad is through the very countries from which Azawad proposes to succeed. Not really a good idea.
This doesn’t sound like a situation where we need to go to war. The US government could simply provide the MNLA with weapons, or could provide training. We don’t need to intercede in the fighting; they seem to be doing just fine on their own in that regard.
Congratulations to the Azawadi people! This is a case where US support would probably cost us very little, and could pay great dividends, as Azawad, under MNLA leadership, could become a shining example of secular democracy to the peoples of North Africa. Of course, the Obama regime will promptly throw them under the bus; we can’t offend the radical Islamists, now, can we?
What is happening is the continuation of the struggle between the Berbers, who are the native people, and the Arab interlopers. It’s been going on for over 1000 years. It might be profitable to remember that the most nation shaking events that have come out of North Africa have been when Berber nationalism and Islamic radicalism have come together. It can be a lethal combination.
I have little doubt that the radical Islamists will hijack the movement as has been done in all other Muslim “Springs” with probable financial backing from Iran and other extreme states. After they have their “freedom” for a while it will become a spring of flowing jihadists throughout the region.
A story about a brand new country and no map? Pretty poor reporting, if you ask me.
I agree, a map would have been very nice.
Azawad – at the risk of insulting and inciting the Azawadis, without a map to see where this new country exists, the name, “Azawad”, makes me think of an imaginary realm in an on-line role-playing game (and don’t get me started on “Kabylia”).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azawad
“I agree, a map would have been very nice.”?
Thank you, “Mike in Seattle”, . . . And, I would like’ta be sure and get “Bill N”, and “Tierney”, and “Thunderbottom” a glass of each their fav drink; I mean, my gosh, to post here, they’re actually on the internet, . . .
But, a map in the article wouldn’t be so nice in that, whereas by opening a separate window in wikipedia, they can go back and forth for more and other details, if in the article they would hafta scroll up and down for less, . . .
I think you’ve missed the point completely, which is that the author left something important out of his story. This is like a restaurant making a customer get up from the table and use the drinking fountain if he gets thirsty. The water is available, yes, but you shouldn’t have to let your dinner get cold to access it.
There is a more important aspect here, which is this: The author obviously left out something important. Why? If he is just careless, what else is he careless about? If he is hiding something, what? What else has he left out and why?
“There is a more important aspect here, which is this: The author obviously left out something important. Why? If he is just careless, what else is he careless about? If he is hiding something, what? What else has he left out and why?”
Dude. Cut back on the coffee and articles that involve the phrase “black helicopter”. Unless…..the author’s sister’s wife’s cousin’s brother-in-law used to live next door to one of the Koch brothers.
Azawad wants to be independent. So does Kurdistan. The Palestinians, on the other hand, are fighting against independence with their lives and the lives of their children. Has any other independence movement ever rejected its own state because it was quibbling about borders? But of course, borders are not the issue. The Palestinians are afraid that an independent Palestine might legitimize Israel’s existence.
http://www.jochnowitz.net/Essays/Palestinians.html
An independent palestine would mean an end to refugee status and the resulting loss of U.N. refugee funds. And the arabs would lose a victim group to use against Israel and the West.
My congratulations to Azawad. May you get the government you deserve.
Greetings:
It’s always nice to hear about the pre-European colonialists, namely, the Islamo-Arabs. It always strikes me as a bit amusing when the Islamists start their rants about colonialists, meaning Europeans, when what the heck are they.
As Fouad Ajami has written, those are the lands of “I against my brother; my brother and I against our cousin; and my cousin, my brother, and I against the stranger.” Regrettably, I no longer find the idea of Muslims killing other Muslims very upsetting.
Islam is a millstone.
Yes, and taken as a whole, a millstone to the neck of struggling humanity trying to achieve things of worth and beauty, . . .
There is an op-ed in the April 11 edition of China Daily by He Wenping. Professor He believes that the Tuareg rebels have close links with Islamic Maghreb, which in turn is linked to al-Shabaab in Somalia and Boko Haram in Nigeria.
http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2012-04/11/content_15019410.htm
The very foundation of African regional order—or to put it in larger terms and more clearly—is the immutability of sense of order in the individual’s very own psychological make-up; and as there, of the individuals who fulfill the region, and which is to say why failed states and their leaders are so many and so economically weak, . . .
Saint Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine of Hippo was a Berber.
St. Augustine was quite a catholic/christian intellectual. As a young pagan he experienced the pleasures of the flesh. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
While there are problems in non arab muslim countries, the arab muslims seem to be the craziest. Arab Christians have been involved in anti-western terror, but not for a long time.
Kind of interesting that the culture has survived all this time.
Nothing of any interest to the U.S. in Mali or Azawad. We are not the world’s policeman nor the arbiter of democracy or any other such foolishness.
One may discern, correctly, the nearly uniform disposition of the readers.
However good or awful the events in Azawad, the U.S. as a people is going to be pretty disinterested for a while, and very disinterested during this administration.
We are at war with an enemy that we are starting to recognize. Less clear is who our friends are, or, even, who’s worth cultivating relationships with.
No doubt the wonks will assure us that if we don’t engage with this or that country, someone else will. The general tenor of the readers seem to be, let them. Our recent history supports that view as rational.
Be careful what you wish for. With the current pro-Sunni, pro-Muslim-Brotherhood Obama presidency, and with the US State Department crawling with Muslim Brotherhood moles, if the US intervenes, it will be on the side of the “bad guys.”
i heard holder and co. had some weapons (bought w/ tarp funds) left over from fast and furious. maybe we can unload them over there.