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REVOLUTION: TESHUMARA AND TANEKRA 237which makes them competitive in the same job market as the Libyans themselves.91 In the late 1970s, a large number of ishumar preferred working inLibya to working in Algeria, as both the chances of finding employment and theoffered wages were higher than in Algeria. From the late 1970s onwards theLibyan leader Qadhafi and the Libyan secret services supported the Tamasheqnational movement but, as the Algerians had before them, Libya intended to usethe Tanekra for its own international adventures, in Chad and Lebanon, and as atrump card in its own regional politics, notably towards Niger. When no longerneeded, the Libyan authorities dropped the Tanekra movement or activelyworked against its existence. But where the Algerians had failed to use the Tanekrain its POLISARIO policy, the Libyans succeeded to co-opt the Tanekrawith the agreement of the organisation itself. The Tanekra activists knew verywell that they were being used, but looked upon Libyan support as a chance toreceive military training and combat experience, and to organise their ownmovement. Contrary to popular belief, Libya never provided the movementwith arms or supported it actively when hostilities finally broke out in Mali orin Niger. Their only remaining support in the 1990s was the continued use themovement could make of training camps on Libyan territory. From 1979 onwards,contacts between Tanekra members and representatives of the Libyanauthorities would lead to the establishment of a more formally structured movement.At the end of 1979, through the mediation of Malian Bidân, the Libyanrepresentatives of the Tanekra met a Libyan researcher at the Libyan ResearchCentre for Saharan Affairs. This researcher, Mohamed Sa’îd al-Qashât hadpreviously been a Libyan contact for POLISARIO. During the 1980s al-Qashâtwould collaborate with a number of Tamasheq intellectuals and Tanekra members.The result of this collaboration was the publication of a book in 1989 entitledat-Tawâriq, ‘arabu s-Sahrâ’i l-Kubrâ’ (The Tuareg, Arabs of the GreatSahara). This book is one of the very few widely distributed books on the KelTamasheq they read themselves. Although the book has a highly folkloristiccontent, it does mention the fights of the Kel Tamasheq against colonial occupation,including a small chapter on what was then the most recent struggle:Alfellaga, including a short interview with former afuleg, Elledi ag Alla. Thebook is in some respects a source of nationalist inspiration. However, the bookis not the most important contribution al-Qashât made to the Tamasheq cause.His most valuable asset was his connection to the Libyan authorities, whichresulted in structural support of the Libyan Jamahuriyya to the Tanekra organisation.91Birks, J.S. & C. Sinclair 1979.