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But of course, most important were the contributions made by Kel Tamasheqthemselves. I would have been nowhere, if my ‘older sisters’ ‘Mama’ Alghaliyaouled Mohamed and ‘Agga’ Maghniyya ouled Mohamed had not opened theirhearts, minds and houses to me in Bamako and Ménaka, and still nowhere withoutthe lessons of my ‘mothers’ Takhnouna in Bamako and Fitou in Ikadewane.Although the voices of these and other women are not always explicitly presentin this book full of men, the rough, fast-track education they gave me and thebackgrounds they explained to me form the solid basis of this work. On thisbasis of understanding, Kel Tamasheq actors and historians of the conflict couldnarrate and explain history as they saw it. I like to thank Abounahya, Ahmad agHamahadi, Ahmed Landji, Alghabbas ag Intalla, Alhassane ag Solimane, Alfarokag Hamatou, Ambeiri ag Ghissa, Aroudeini ag Hamatou, Attayoub ag Intalla,Baba ag Intekoua, Baye ag Alhassan, Cheick ag Baye, Ehya ag Sidiyene,Ghissa, Hamma ag M’bareck, Hammedine, Ibrahim ag Litny, Intalla ag Attaher,Keddu ag Ossad, Keyni ag Sherif, Lalla ouled Meddi, Lalla ouled Mohamed,Lamine ag Bilal, Livio Granzotto (yes Livio, you are ou Tamasheq too), Manaki,Mariam ouled Intallou, M’bareck, Mohamed Akotey, Mohamed ag Ekaratane,Mohamed ag Intalla, Mohamed Lamine ag Mohamed Fall, Moussa Keyna,Moustafa Maïga (a true Kel Tabarfouti), Nina ouled Intallou, Nock ag Fathoum,Nouhoum, Rkekli, Saoudata, Sidi Amghar and Sidi Moussa for their friendship,trust and insights. I hope they can find themelves in the interpretation of theirhistory as I present it here. Unfortunately, I need to thank Amegha ag Sherif,‘Colonel’ Taghlift and ‘Liki’ M’bareck posthumously. Que la terre les soit légère.Last but certainly not least, I sincerely thank Bairbre Duggan and Anne SaintGirons for their editorial skills, Dick Foeken for his patience, and Mieke Zwartfor her work on the layout.May all those I have not named take no offense. I am indebted to them forlife nevertheless.No acknowledgement is complete without the disclaimer: All errors in thiswork are mine and mine alone.Ghent, 09 September ’09Bazxi