The Tuareg people: territory and tribes

The territory of the Tuareg people

The Tuareg tribes live in the central Sahara and on the edges of the Sahel. When independence came in 1961, the Sahara was divided into several states. The Tuareg territory was dislocated and their inhabitants were automatically assigned a nationality.

Their territory was then divided between five African states: Algeria, Libya, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. The majority of Tuaregs are currently to be found between Niger and Mali.

It is very difficult to give an overall figure for this population, as no reliable figures are available. Official sources put the figure at around 1.5 million, divided into numerous tribes, while Tuareg sources put it at 3 million. This difference can be explained by the lack of a census of the population and by the political stakes in these new states against a backdrop of land disputes and oil interests.

According to official sources, the Touareg are distributed as follows:

• Niger: just over 1.5 million
• Mali: just under 1 million
• Algeria + Libya + Burkina Faso: around 500,000 for the 3 countries.

Before being divided by borders, the territory of the nomadic people of the Sahara, known as Tinariwen, was divided into several lands. This vast territory is bordered to the north by sand barriers. To the east, the territory extends as far as the Tibesti massif in Chad. To the west, it stretches past Timbuktu into Mauritania. To the south, beyond the rivers of Niger, it extends into the Sahel region.

The various Tuareg tribes of the Sahara

In Libya, the Tuareg people live in Fezzan, a desert region in the south-west between Ghat and Ubari, and form part of the Kel Ajjer confederation.

The Kel Ajjer Tuareg are also found in eastern Algeria, in the wilaya of Illizi, to the north of the Tassili n’Ajjer massif and Djanet. This territory was the cradle of the Garamantes civilisation in ancient times.

In Algeria, there is a second confederation of tribes known as the Kel Ahaggar. This population lives in the Hoggar mountains, in the wilaya of Tamanrasset.

The Kel Aïr live in the major towns of Agadez, Timia and Iférouane in Niger, as well as in the mountains of the Aïr massif.

There is also the Kel Gress confederation in Tanout and the Ouelleminden in the east, a tribe also present in western Mali.

In Mali, there are also the Kel Adagh, in the Adrar des Ifoghas mountain range.

There are also many other tribes in the Azawak region, a plain between Mali and Niger that is home to around 500,000 people, the majority of whom are ethnic Tuareg and Peul-Wodaabe.

Tuareg society and way of life

Nomadic tribes

Since the middle of the 20th century, the sedentarisation of the Tuareg has accelerated as a result of numerous droughts and conflicts. For safety reasons, many have chosen to settle in towns close to the Sahara, such as Niamey, Ouagadougou and Agadez in Niger.

However, the Tuareg remain primarily a nomadic people, traditionally engaged in herding camels and goats. Some of them still practise nomadism, moving between the city and their camps in the desert.

The nomads’ campsites are made up of the famous Tuareg tents, designed to be put up and taken down quickly. These tents are arranged to create separate areas for men and women. Along with the tea tradition and the mehari camel, the tent is a central symbol of their way of life, forming one of the three pillars of Tuareg culture.

As for Tuareg craftsmanship, this came later than livestock farming, with the manufacture of items such as leather saddles for camels, followed by utensils such as wooden spoons and cups and the famous Tuareg jewellery, including the Agadez Cross.

A society of hierarchical tribes

Hierarchy is the main characteristic of Tuareg society. This system does not correspond to the Western stereotype of hierarchy. In fact, within the encampments, close and familiar ties are forged between the different ranks. They joke freely without the risk of offending the honour of their families.

At the head of the group is a chief who manages internal affairs and represents the community in its dealings with institutions. To be elected, the chief must belong to a powerful family and have the moral qualities to represent the interests of the tribe.

The individuals making up society are classified into the following categories:

• Imajaghan: noble tribes, mainly warriors whose purpose is to protect
• Imghad: vassal tribes
• Ineslemen: maraboutic tribes (meaning ‘Muslim’)
• Inaden: blacksmiths, craftsmen
• Irawellan: former Tuareg captives
• Iklan: servants

A very strong code of honour

The men are educated according to a strict code of honour, emphasising values such as honour, bravery, generosity and respect for elders.

The honour and pride of Tuareg men are fundamental pillars that shape their identity in the heart of the desert. In this community, honour is associated with loyalty to family, tribe and age-old traditions. Mastery of the art of riding camels, knowledge of the stars to navigate the desert and the ability to preserve musical and craft traditions all contribute to forging the pride of the Tuareg man.

The Tuareg tribe, a matriarchal or, more precisely, matrilineal society

Although the Tuareg man must follow a very strong code of honour, women are far from being sidelined in the Tuareg tribe. Indeed, Tuareg societies are matriarchal, meaning that it is the mother who transfers her rank to her child, hence the matrilineal attribute.

A man or a woman can be the chief of a tribe, depending on his or her bravery and authority.

It is also the woman who is given the tent when a household is created through marriage. If there is a divorce, the woman keeps the tent.

For this people, social and family life rests on the strength and wisdom of women, who occupy a central place in society. The matriarchs, the true guardians of tradition, play a key role in making important decisions, guiding family choices and passing on ancestral knowledge to subsequent generations.

Rites of passage, festivals and other events marking the major stages in community life are organised with care and grace by these female figures. The men, far from being on the sidelines, contribute their physical strength and creativity, working hand in hand with the women to ensure the collective well-being of the tribe.

Would you like to discover the Tuaregs, Djanet and the Algerian Sahara?

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