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CREATING MALI 39tribe in Gourma Rharous presented himself as an independent candidate. SidiMohamed ag Zocka’s short-lived political career was one in search of allies anddirection. In 1945 he travelled to Bamako where he contacted politicians of allparties, including Balobo Maïga, a northerner himself and a member of the PSP,and Mar Diagne of the US-RDA. In 1946 he did not gain enough votes outsidehis own Cercle to be elected. In 1947 Sidi Mohamed ag Zocka became ill andasked to be relieved of his functions as tribal chief. 42 Mohamed Ali was electedin 1946, securing the Goundam and Timbuktu Cercles for the PSP. After MohamedAli left on the hajj in 1948, not to return to Mali until rendition in 1963,his younger brother Mohamed Elmehdi took over his positions as Chef Traditioneland as Conseiller Territorial. He remained active in politics until wellafter independence, first within the PSP and later within the US-RDA. In the1951 partial elections for the Conseil général, we find a new PSP candidatefrom Kel Intessar origins: Hacko ag Ibrahim, a veterinarian from Goundam. 43Hacko won these elections, but did not survive the political downfall of the PSPin the late 1950s. He remained active in the party in his home region of Goundam.In 1955, Hacko ag Ibrahim founded a special nomad subcommittee of thePSP to reorganise nomad support for the party and to strengthen their positionagainst the US-RDA. 44 In 1956 he seriously opposed Mohamed Elmehdi’scandidacy for the PSP list in Goundam, who was nevertheless elected. 45 Thus,two Tamasheq leaders competed in one constituency over parliamentary seats.But Tamasheq participation in elections did not guarantee their full inclusion inthe political world of Soudan Français. Despite the PSP's downfall from 1956onwards, the chiefs' party remained strong in Goundam and the Niger Bend,where Tamasheq chiefs remained supportive of the party. By 1958 the PSP hadno representatives left in the Assemblée Territoriale. Some Tamasheq andBidân chiefs then went over to the US-RDA. Some did so on their own initiativeand political insight, such as Intalla ag Attaher, the second son of theamenokal of the Adagh. Some only did so under strong pressure from the US-RDA itself. This was for example the case with Badi ould Hammoadi, chief ofthe Bidân Kounta confederation. On the advise of Habib Wafi, a Bidân merchantelected to the territorial Assembly in 1956, Badi rallied to the US-RDA in42434445Rapport sur les élections au Conseils Généraux, 15 décembre 1946 – 5 janvier 1947.ANSOM – 1affpol/2265/6. Fiches de renseignements des chefs de canton Gourma(Hombori) I, 1911-1950. ANM – FR 2E-24. Rapports politiques et tournées duCercle Tombouctou 1943-1957. ANM – FR 1E-42/II.Affaires Politiques, les partis politiques au Soudan 1951-1959. ANM – FR 1E-3/4.Cdt. Cercle Goundam à Gov. Soudan Français. Compositoin du sous-committeeP.S.P. (nomade). ACG.Inspection des Affaires Administratives du Cercle de Goundam, 1907-1957. ANM –FR 2D-18/1957aa.