ASC-075287668-2887-01

serve a public interest, they are mainly intended to facilitate the task of theCommandant de Cercle. Although physically in perfect shape, the files containeddocuments pertaining to various subjects, which made research a questionof adamantly continuing to ‘speed-read’ file after file. For this reason, I donot make reference to archive codes when referring to the documents from thesearchives. I have simply given the name of the concerned document, followed by‘ACK’. Those interested in these documents are welcome to visit me and lookat my notebooks. The second problem concerned the right to access itself. Asthe post of Commandant de Cercle was unoccupied during my research stay, Ihave received permission to search the archives from acting Commandant deCercle and Premier Adjoint Marc Dara, with the support of His ExcellencyEghless ag Foni, Haut Conseiller du VIIIème Région de Kidal. This permissionwas not put to paper.Three other archives have been used less extensively in this research: thearchives of the Ministère de l’Administration Territoriale et de Sûreté in Bamako(AMSAT, now known as Ministère de l’Administration Territoriale et desCollectivités Locales) and the Centre de l’Histoire et des Etudes des Troupesd’Outre Mer (CHETOM) in Fréjus. I have received permission by word in 1997from the acting Minister, His Excellency Colonel Sada Samaké, to access theAMSAT archives. These archives do not have a repertorium. I have used onebut very important file from this archiveAMSAT Dossier 35 – OCRS 1957-1962This file contains material from the Ministère de l’Intérieur et de l’Information(as AMSAT was then called) under Madeira Keita on the US-RDA’s policiestowards the OCRS and the Kel Tamasheq. From the CHETOM archives, I havealso used one fileCHETOM 15 H 77-2 Mali, armée nationale 1964This document probably originates from the French Military Intelligence ServicesSDECE on the organisation of the Malian army. The document inquestion was updated yearly. CHETOM contains versions dating from 1962 and1963 as well, but only the 1964 document contained an annex which gives achronology of Malian military activities during Alfellaga from 1963 to 1964.I have made use of a number of documents, especially on the Qadi of Timbuktuand the slave trade to Mecca described in chapters 1 and 2, emanatingfrom the Archives de Cercle de Goundam (ACG). The problems stated abovefor the Archives de Cercle de Kidal also hold for these archives. I have notcollected these documents myself. I am greatly indebted to Professor Bruce Hallxxiv