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174 CHAPTER 4successful raid was held around Boughessa. 41 A second raid was held at Farar,near Kidal, where the ifulagen captured forty camels of the Kidal goum. 42 Manymore raids would follow. The raids had a tactical value. Not only did they providemeans for the ifulagen themselves – well-trained mounts for their fightersand livestock to be exchanged for weapons – it also deprived their adversariesof their means of warfare. But the raids on the goum’s camels also adhered tothe rules of aqqa; they were intended to restore honour. The sole objectiveElledi ag Alla had with his attack on Ahiyaya ag Ouarzeza that started therevolt, was to restore the honour of his family. He wanted to erase his honourdebt with the goumiers, who had dishonoured his father. Other ifulagen too hadtheir honour at stake in the events around Alla ag Albachir. Rebel leader IkhlouSaloum had been part of Alla’s band for a while before becoming a goumierhimself. Since the goumiers were able-bodied warriors par excellence, and onan equal footing with the ifulagen as free men, they were legitimate targets foraqqa. Hence, the raids on their animals were also in revenge for the stainedhonour of Elledi and Ikhlou Saloum (and many others) in the mutilation of Allaag Albachir’s body by the goumiers. Individual goumiers were raided for theirown animals as well. Still, the values of honourable warfare were upheld. InNovember 1963, a group of ifulagen attacked the camp of a certain Akly, wholodged the goumier Sidarmor ould Mini. At first, the ifulagen wanted to killSidarmor, but after the intervention of Akly and his wife, they spared his lifeand only took his arms, clothes (in humiliation) and camels. The leader of thegroup then told Sidarmor:We wanted to make you suffer the same ordeals to which our people are victim. Wewill not give you back this gun, which would be employed against us. You say youwant peace. We don’t want it. (...) We have no fear. Day and night we will beeverywhere. We have no need to hide ourselves and don’t you think we will notcome back. Even if you go to the river we will follow you there. 43The language used is one of masculine honour and bravery. The ifulageninsist that they fight in the open and will continue doing so. Instead of killingthe adversary, his life is spared in request of his host (and not heading this requestwould damage honour as the safety of the guest is the honour of the host),and he is left in humiliation to get the message across. The ifulagen invite thegoum to battle in the open. They have no reason to hide and will find theiradversaries wherever they go. The fight is between equals, who are dealt withas such. Until August 1963, only the goum and the GNIG14 pursued the rebels.Thus, only attacks on valid adversaries were made. However, by August 1963 it414243Chef d’Arrondissement d’Aguelhoc à Cdt. Cercle Kidal, 20/08/1963. ACK.Boilley, P. 1999: 326.Rapport du goumier Sidarmor ould Mini. Tessalit, 30/11/1963. ACK.