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50 CHAPTER 1The effects of the Qadi’s campaignThe Soudanese political elite, who still strongly disapproved of the OCRS,regarded the Qadi’s actions with more than suspicion. In October 1957 theSoudanese Minister of the Interior, Madeira Keita, toured the North in order tosee what was happening in the Soudanese part of the OCRS. His reports werealarming to the US-RDA. In Gourma Rharous and the Cercle of Goundam, KelTamasheq raided the herds of their former slaves. In Rhergo, a tribal chief hadpublicly offended the Conseiller Territorial for the US-RDA Abdoulaye Nock(most likely a Tamasheq himself), forbidding him to speak in public, and finallychallenging him to a sword duel. Mauritanian Bidân entered the territory tocampaign for a greater Mauritania (infra). In the Cercle of Gao, the Kountacheick Badi ould Hammoadi campaigned in favour of the OCRS and ‘theseparation of whites and blacks’. 75 The Kounta cheick had already campaignedfor more political awareness among the Tamasheq and Bidân in 1955 but to noavail. 76 Inspired by the Qadi, he resumed his crusade. French reports about hisactivities and those of other Tamasheq chiefs confirmed US-RDA anxieties. Itseemed the chiefs believed they could ‘affirm in no discreet terms, their wish tobe integrated into a still badly defined OCRS, which is not favoured by theAfrican leaders of Soudan’. 77The Soudanese representatives in France accused the Ministry of Saharanaffairs and the OCRS of engaging in racist policies, putting the Saharans againstthe Southern Soudanese population in order to make the OCRS a politicalterritory after all. 78 The OCRS was directed by a High Commission, whichacted as a means of control over the Ministry of Saharan affairs, and as highestexecutive organ of the OCRS. The Soudanese representation in this High Commissionhad been at stake during the autumn of 1957. Although the Houphouët-Boigny law on the OCRS stipulated that the representation of the Saharan populationsshould in majority be of nomad origins, the US-RDA had successfullycontested this position. A number of tribal chiefs organised by MohamedMahmoud ould Cheick, had proposed the territorial councillors Habib Wafi andMohamed Elmehdi ag Attaher Insar as candidate commissioners. However theUS-RDA appointed Mahamane Allasane Haidara, mayor of Timbuktu and prominentUS-RDA member, instead of Habib Wafi, thus violating the stipulationsof the selection procedure, but securing its oppositional voice in the Commis-75767778Ministre de l’Intérieur et de l’Information Madeira Keita à Chef du Territoire duSoudan français, 06/11/1957. AMSAT – Dossier 35 – OCRS 1957-1962.Féral, G. 1993.Affaires politiques, Soudan, Administration générale: Evolution politique (rapports,télégrammes officielles, presse) 1958-1959. ANSOM – 1affpol/2188/3.Ministre de l’Intérieur et de l’Information Madeira Keita à Chef du Territoire duSoudan français, 06/11/1957. AMSAT – Dossier 35 – OCRS 1957-1962.