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232 CHAPTER 5Me:Sallah:Me:Sallah:Why did you enter the Libyan army?Because my uncle had enturbanned me. My uncle had sent me. I was veryyoung. The army is a sort of kindergarten, right? To make the army spiritenter your mind and body.And what did you think of that, that he sent you to Libya?(Thinks for a long time) I thought ‘better death than dishonour’. A woundheals, but evil does not heal. If a bullet passes through (points at his leg), itwill heal, but [the memory of the death of] parents do[es] not heal.Clearly, Younes ag Ayyouba had invoked memories to Sallah of what hadhappened to Sallah’s family during Alfellaga: The Malian army had executedSallah’s ‘grandfather’ (his uncle’s grandfather) Mohamed Adargajouj in Kidal.Sallah had been ‘enturbanned’ by his uncle, which means his uncle had beenresponsible for Sallah’s education as a man of honour. By dressing Sallah withhis first turban, Younes ag Ayyouba had bestowed male honour upon Sallah,which could not be upheld when the egha of the family had not been paid. 83If a person was perceived to be receptive to the message (and many were),and if he was considered to be trustworthy, he would be recruited. The newrecruit had to swear an oath on the Qur’ân that he would do anything in hispower to further the cause and that he would not betray the secret existence ofthe movement. Breaking this oath would mean death through the swelling andexploding of one’s intestines. Secrecy was of the highest importance. In fact,the Tanekra movement was obsessed with secrecy and riddled with rumoursabout secret agents of all kinds who would betray the movement and arrest itsmembers. These rumours were not unfounded. Those who were sworn in raisedconsciousness in others on their turn. Ranks were informal or non-existent.Leadership was in the hands of a few respected men, such as the formerifulagen and a few early younger recruits. Meetings between members wereinformal and could hardly be distinguished from simple meetings betweenfriends or ishumar parties at which politics, life and the predicament of theTeshumara were discussed. Within the Tanekra, many different opinions werebrought forward. There were those who were not in favour of an armed uprising.There were those who were in favour of the inclusion of other socialgroups in Northern Mali apart from the Kel Tamasheq, such as the Daoussahak,the Bidân, the Fulbe and the Songhay. Notably the Daoussahak were in favourof this option. One of the main leaders of the Tanekra, former afuleg Younes agAyyouba, was a Daoussahak. Others were even against the inclusion within themovement of Kel Tamasheq from outside the Adagh. These issues were allhotly debated. In the end, those in favour of inclusion of other Kel Tamasheqwon their plea, and from the late 1970s onwards, recruitment of members from83Interview with Mohamed Sallah ag Mohamed. Bamako, 18/01/1998.