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138 CHAPTER 3nation in the 19 th and 20 th century. There is hardly any stronger proof possiblefor the paternalistic and colonial attitude of uplift and betterment of the lives ofthe poor natives from the side of the Keita Regime than this attempt to make thenomads eat vegetables.The optimistic horticultural situation in the Adagh outlined by Diarra can bejuxtaposed with the presentation of a report on agriculture one year earlier byhis colleague Muphtah ag Hairy in riverain Bourem at the regional conferencein August 1966.We abstain from advancing figures for the good reason that until now they do notrepresent reality. Indeed our experiences so far show us that the agricultural agentsinvent them at their desk, multiplying random yields per hectare to a randomcultivated surface. (...) It should, however, be recognised that even in good years,the Cercle is not self sufficient and always needs exterior help. (...) The secondphenomenon, not less dangerous, is the tendency of the farmer to become a pastoralistand to abandon the soil. (...) This year, laudable efforts have been made inthe horticultural domain in which the riverain villages take more and more interest.The consumption of vegetables still not having entered the alimentary habits of ourmasses, we fear our gardeners will face a sales problem in the near future. Ruralcooperatives have been installed in all villages, but it should be admitted that theydo not function. The collective fields, with some small exceptions, have not producedanything, and funding is so minimal that they do not allow for importantoperations. 59This grim but honest picture is likely to represent the situation in the Adaghas much as it represents the state of affairs in riverain Bourem. As a provisionalconclusion it can be said that the efforts undertaken by the Keita Regime tosedentarise the Kel Tamasheq and to transform them into hard-working farmerswere a failure. In 1966, in all, three hundred people practised horticulture in theCercle. This number probably consisted mostly of administrative and militarystaff. 60After the fall of the Keita Regime the Traoré regime quickly decided to stopall efforts in forced sedentarisation and agriculture in the Sahara. 61 The agriculturalbrigades ceased to exist and even the agricultural service withdrewitself from Kidal. Only in the village of Tessalit, which already had a smalltradition of growing dates and tobacco before colonial times, was the experimentsomewhat successful. 62 However, involuntary settlement rose dramaticallywith the drought of 1973, and again with that of 1984. The decimating effect onherds of these droughts made most of the Kel Adagh either flee the region or59606162Rapport du Cercle de Bourem, présenté à la 7ème conférence régionale, Gao 22 au24 août 1966. ACK.ag Mohamed, A. 1977: 17.Vallet, M. 1970, CHEAM 4374.ag Mohamed, A. 1977: 19.