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176 CHAPTER 4hand, akafal is the lawlessness imposed by barbarism. In a war were theadversary is not Kel Tamasheq, who does not know the internal martial code ofconduct and behaves accordingly brutally, one has no other option than to reactsimilarly in order to survive.Repression and retaliationAfter operations in Mali, the ifulagen retreated into Algeria. There they wererelatively safe from the pursuing Malian Armed Forces. This changed considerablywhen the Malian forces obtained the right to pursue the rebels, orwhoever was perceived as such, on Algerian territory. When and how exactly isstill not clear, but between November 1963 and February 1964 Mali and Algeriaconcluded an agreement according the Malian Armed Forces the right topursue the rebels in Algeria as far as necessary. 47 The Malian right of pursuit inAlgeria proved to be dramatic. First of all, it made clear to the rebels that theirstrategy – starting the conflict in the hope that Algeria would come to their aid –would not work out. Second, the main tactic of the rebels – retreat into safetybehind the Algerian border – was now seriously undermined. On 15 February1964, a group of ifulagen engaged the Malian Armed Forces at Mount Tikianein Algeria. 48 The rebels retreated further into Algeria, leaving five of their mendead and one captured. In a second skirmish at Agedem, just across the Algerianborder, the rebels left three of their most valuable fighters in combat andtwo captured. 49 Third, not only the rebels suffered under the Malian incursions.The Kel Adagh who had fled to Algeria to escape the violence were also confrontedwith the pursuing Malian forces who considered the refugees as rebelaccomplices. In November 1963, more than 400 cows and 250 camels weremassacred together with their herdsmen at the wells of In Ouzzel, a few hundredkilometres into Algeria. 50The forbidden zoneWhether in Algeria or in Mali, the ifulagen were hard to track down. TheMalian Armed Forces therefore quickly resorted to retaliation on the Kel Adagh47484950It is unclear on which date this agreement was signed, or whether an agreement wassigned at all or on what level.Mali, Tableau des forces armées et forces publiques du Mali au 1er mai 1964.CHETOM – 15 H 77-2c.Déclarations des deux rebelles rendus avec leurs armes le 10 juillet 1964 au Chef deTribu Bissaada – II/Déclarations du nommé Bilal ag Indialal, fraction Taghat Melet,Tribu Ebeug. ACK.Mali, Tableau des forces armées et forces publiques du Mali au 1er mai 1964.CHETOM – 15 H 77-2c. See also Boilley, P. 1999: 333.