Refugees

Refugees
   The causes of the Tuareg refugee problems reside in the wider context of the profound and, in many ways, catastrophic social, political, economic, and environmental changes that had affected the area for several decades prior to the refugee exodus. The result has been a progressive disruption of the fragile agropastoralist equilibrium on which the livelihood of the area depends. The destabilization of Tuareg historical territories was the long-term consequence of three main factors. First, French colonial rule and the subsequent rise of nation-states in the Saharan weakened the Tuareg tribes and ended their control of the trans-Saharan caravan trade that had been a major source of income for them. Second, the environmental degradation brought about by 25 years of low rainfall between 1965 and 1990 worsened into the disastrous droughts of 1973 and 1984 and further destroyed the traditional livelihood of pastoral nomads. Finally, there was the marginalization of northern regions of Mali and Niger by the Malian and Nigerian governments in the years following independence in 1960. While northern regions comprise about 70 percent of the two countries' territories, they are home to only 10 percent of their populations, and government investment in these vast regions remained negligible to nonexistent.
   The consequence of these factors led to the emergence of militant opposition, particularly among certain groups of young men in the Tuareg areas of the far northeast (Kidal and Menaka) who came to be known as ishumar (jobless). In 1963, the first rebellion in Kidal was harshly put down and led to the imposition of military rule in the area. The much more well-organized rebellions of 1990s, sparked by a parallel uprising in northern Niger, was spearheaded by Tuareg combatants who had earlier migrated to Libya in search of work and received military training there. The fighting led to the flight of some 150,000 persons from Mali to Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Niger between 1990 and 1994.
   Currently, there are approximately 68,000 assisted Tuareg refugees in Burkina Faso and Mauritania and about 100,000 in Algeria from Mali and Niger. Tuareg refugee populations face three pressing and interrelated problematic issues. The first involves the urgent need for an assessment of the refugee resettlement programs, especially the extent to which the grievances and causes of the Tuareg rebellions of the 1990s have been addressed. The second is the prevailing insecurity spurred by the spillover of Algeria's Islamic struggles and politics into Tuareg territories. The third is the rise of banditry, warlordism, and smuggling of illegal goods across the Sahara, especially cigarettes, hard drugs, and arms, and the trafficking of illegal migrants to Europe. The "no-man's-land" image could potentially be the major problem facing Tuareg populations and refugees as mounting insecurity is increasing people's perceptions and fears that the causes that led to the Tuareg rebellions in the 1990s in Mali and Niger may resurface.

Historical Dictionary of the Berbers (Imazighen) . . 2014.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • REFUGEES — (1933–1949). When the Nazis came to power, many Jews believed that this chapter in German history would soon pass, that Germany would come to its senses, and that Hitler could not last long. Over time, however, the ranks of the pessimists swelled …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • refugees — for the purposes of the United Nations, refugees are persons who, having left their country, be determined to have a well founded fear of persecution on certain specific grounds or are unable to avail themselves of the protection of the… …   Law dictionary

  • Refugees —    In earlier times, both the Ottoman and Persian empires deported large numbers of Kurds from their historic homelands in an attempt to control them better. More recently, the modern Republic of Turkey has also internally displaced many ethnic… …   Historical Dictionary of the Kurds

  • Refugees —    Because of human rights abuses and deteriorating economic conditions, the number of Burmese refugees has increased dramatically since the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) seized power in September 1988. Among the first refugees… …   Historical Dictionary of Burma (Myanmar)

  • refugees — pabėgėliai statusas T sritis Gynyba apibrėžtis Asmenys, kurie dėl tikro ar įsivaizduojamo pavojaus savo iniciatyva, stichiškai ar verčiami karo tęsimo politikos traukiasi savo valstybės viduje (tautiniai pabėgėliai) ar per valstybių sienas… …   NATO terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

  • Refugees International — is an Non governmental organization headed by Ken Bacon. The former president was Lionel Rosenblatt. Some current notable Board members include Queen Noor, John Danforth, Richard Holbrooke, and Sam Waterston. It is based in Washington, D.C..… …   Wikipedia

  • Refugees of Iraq — Throughout the past 100 years, there have been a growing number of refugees fleeing Iraq and settling throughout the world, peaking recently with the latest Iraq War. The Iran–Iraq War from 1980 to 1988, the 1990 Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait, the… …   Wikipedia

  • Refugees of the Greek Civil War — Political refugees of the Greek Civil War were members or sympathisers of the defeated communist forces who fled Greece during or in the aftermath of the Civil War of 1946–1949. The collapse of the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE) and the… …   Wikipedia

  • Refugees in India — India has seen large influx of refugee populations throughout history.Refugees from Greater IranAccording to Zoroastrian legend (see Qissa i Sanjan), a few centuries after the conquest of the Sassanid state and the subsequent collapse of… …   Wikipedia

  • Refugees (song) — Infobox Single Name = Refugees Artist = The Tears from Album = Here Come the Tears Released = April 25 2005 Format = CD, Vinyl record (7 ) Recorded = 2005 Genre = Britpop Length = 2:53 Label = Independiente Records Producer = Bernard Butler Chart …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”