…To which Golden Age, the black and white KelTamasheq can jointly look back, when they were united and happily enjoying together the same rights and privileges? Is it the Middle Ages and its slavery practices that you wish to bring back, because after a mere 50 years since the departure of France, you realize that your historic privileges are fast crumbling and will be gone forever unless you regain control over the descendants of the former black African slaves? And shamelessly today, you tell the international community that you hold dear the “historic ideal of your unity” with the blacks while positioning yourselves as the people whose rights have been confiscated and who are in need of reparation. Is that not what the KelTamasheq call “the camel who throws down its rider and cries the first for help”? And what place do you have in your struggle for the black Africans who are not part of the Arab-Tuareg society and also for the other black Africans living in Northern Mali? The words Tuareg and Tamasheq have been used in your rebellion since June 1990. The Tamanrasset Accords and others have benefitted only the white Arab-Tuareg at the exclusion of the black ones. History must teach Black Africans that for nothing in the world, they should let themselves be lured under your umbrella, no matter how sweet your discourse becomes. For it is false and deceitful just like during all your rebellions without exception. Unity is to be shown in actions and not only written in a political platform. And it is obvious to everyone that the few blacks who may be with you are only puppets who count for nothing either in the Arab-Tuareg communities or among the black Africans and do not represent any viable future anywhere. How pathetic they are! (More to come)
Pastor Nouh Ag Infa
Translated from French by Cherif Keita