Libya, the Tuareg and Mali on the eve of the ‘Arab Spring’ and in its aftermath: an anatomy of changed relations

Abstract

This study examines the relatively unknown issue of the ethno-political and strategic partnership that existed between the Libyan regime of Muammar al-Qaddafi and the ethnic Tuareg minority of Sahelian origin, with an emphasis on the period during 1990–2011. Approaching this issue through political history and political science frameworks, this study addresses contemporary issues such as African migration, transnational identities, political mobilisation, Sahel–Maghreb relations, Islamist terror and new regional security structures, as well as the place of ethnic and racial minorities within political life and society. The ramifications of the ‘Arab Spring’ and the subsequent fall of Qaddafi's regime put an end to the unique partnership. Many Tuareg fled the chaos of post-Qaddafi Libya and returned to their native countries, disrupting the sensitive ethnic and political balances in the Sahel belt.