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REBELLION: AL-JEBHA 283siten in Northern Mali at the advent of French conquest. The Chemennamas area tribe consisting of a number of fractions, created by the colonial authorities inthe 1910s, but also under the sway of the Ouillimiden. 54 Their status is comparableto that of imghad, which they most likely are. The Dabakar are consideredto be on one hand noble or ellellu, but on the other hand to be tilaqqiwinunder the protection of the Ouillimiden. In the 1960s, Nicolaissen positionedthe Ishidenharen as somewhere between ineslemen (religious specialists) andimghad. 55 The Ishidenharen would fiercely deny this position, arguing that theyare nobles almost on a par with the Ouillimiden imushagh. It was exactly thiscontest over ascribed status that caused the break-up of the FPLA, a contest thatwas exacerbated by the fact that the status of most groups was rather unclear tobegin with. Most are neither ‘true’ imghad nor ‘true’ nobles, but all hadformerly been tilaqqiwin. The Ouillimiden, after their heavily defeated revolt of1916, had never joined a rebellious movement afterwards, but had insteadclosely cooperated with the various regimes. Their former tilaqqiwin, however,had joined the Tanekra and were active within the rebellion. Therefore, thesegroups could now effectively claim status as illellan or protectors. As armyrepression on civilians went on during the second rebellion, the question ofprotection became more urgent. Being warriors in the present, defending theirkin, their status as tilaqqiwin could no longer be accepted. The enormoushistorical prestige of the Ouillimiden imushagh did not permit other tewsiten toclaim absolute predominance altogether. But the relative hierarchy among themcould be argued about. As the Chemennamas claimed leadership position withinthe FPLA, the other groups opted out as they contested Chemennamas dominancy.Just to complete the account of internecine strife, a few ‘minor fights’ shouldbe mentioned. The Bidân movement FIAA also underwent a process of internaldivision. Exactly when is not clear, but the movement ended up in at least twodifferent units. In early February 1993, a small war broke out between FIAAand FPLA when FPLA fighters murdered a FIAA supporter outside Gao. Thefight between both movements threatened to become ‘international’ whenArabs from the Touaji and Almouchakarai tribes living in Niger came to the aidof the FIAA in attacking the FPLA forces and the Kel Tamasheq inhabiting theTamesna plain, and stealing numerous cattle. The Touaji were also suspected ofdelivering arms to the FIAA. In April 1993, the conflict between FPLA andFIAA ended with a treaty between both movements after FIAA leader Zahabyould Sidi Mohamed threatened to leave the MFUA. In March 1994, the FNLA5455Politique Indigène – Conventions de délimitation passées avec les chefs, Cercle deGao 1907-1910. ANM – FA 2E-76.Nicolaisen, J. & I. Nicolaisen 1997: 579.