Environmentalism as Social Control? An Exploration of the Transformation of Pastoral Nomadic Societies in French Colonial North Africa

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When the French launched their 130 year rule in Algeria, this country was called the “land of sheep” (pays du mouton). This was appropriate, as nearly all of the local population was pastoralist or agro-pastoralist. This mobile population proved difficult to pacify and control and thus the French fought them, first in Algeria and later in Tunisia and Morocco, for a period spanning more than 100 years. Using many of the techniques developed at that time, contemporary North African regimes continue to execute the French colonial goal of controlling and sedentarizing the nomadic pastoralists. Many aspects of the pacification of North African populations by the French have been well-documented, especially in the military, political, and economic sectors. What has been less well explored, however, is how legislation in the agricultural and environmental sectors played a complementary role in the pacification and control of nomads in the Maghreb. This article, based on archival research, demonstrates how the im...