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Old 09-26-2009, 04:05 PM
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Mohoender Mohoender is offline
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Default Sahel

Entirely landlocked, the region extends over the Sahara and counts among the archest region on the planet. Entirely escaping the war, it finally falls to the global consequences that reshape large portions of the world. More than to the war itself, the region falls to climatic changes, to civil unrest spreading from neighboring countries and from internal movements.

First of all, a severe drought touches the region after the nukes fall and many among the subsistence herders and farmers are killed as a result of this. Then, things change in 2007 when heavy rains fall all over Western Africa. One could think that this is a good thing but one of the consequences of this exceptional rainfall is the development of locusts that invade the entire region and, then, spread north and south to Cabo Verde and as far as Israel, resulting in a destruction of crops killing as many people as the drought. In addition, civil unrest spread quickly from countries such as Algeria, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Nigeria and Sudan, bringing additional violence to a region that was already terribly shaken. Finally, internal violence increased as well, essentially in Mali and Niger and coming from revived Tuareg rebellious groups. As a result of all this, the various governments of Burkina-Faso, Mali, Niger and Chad all fell one after another and boundaries don’t mean much any more.

Marauding bands essentially made of people from abroad are still wandering around in the southern part of the area and throughout Chad, bringing insecurity whenever they go. The local surviving populations, among the poorest on Earth before the war fall back to small villages and communities scattered around what remain of the weak regional water system. In fact, most of them are located in Mali and western Niger, on the banks of the last viable river: the Niger. Everywhere else water is increasingly scarce (the Lake Chad has been reduced by 50%) and communities that have existed for centuries are gone. These people are growing what they can and gathered whatever weapon they could for defense. Every prewar city is in ruin and their street are now filled with sand regularly blown by strong winds. Living within their walls has become impossible and they can be no more than a refuge for a night or two. In this general chaos, only two cities remain, acting as lighthouses in a sea of sand: Djenné and Timbuktu. Both are placed under the rule of an Islamic religious authority and act as centers of learning and trade again, centered on their respective great mosques. They have been lightly fortified and are protected by a number of warriors using camels and refitted four wheel drive trucks.

Only one group is doing almost fine in this area and it is the Tuareg. Free again, they all went back to the desert to a fully nomadic life, knowing every oasis and wandering constantly through the “Tinariwen” (The deserts). As in Mauritania, they rely again on slavery and again organize themselves into a confederation of tribes placed under the leadership of several “Amenokal” (Chiefs). This was made easier by the fact that Tuareg all understand each other despite some regional variation in their language, the Tamasheq. Since the refounding of their confedaration all Touareg leaders gather every two years on the site of Abalessa, former capital of the Hoggar and a place they consider to be their capital city. The leaders are men but women have their word to say as Tuareg obey traditional rules that are very different from these of other Muslim people.

Tuareg are matrilineal and unlike in many other Muslim societies, women do not traditionally wear the veil, whereas men do, wearing the traditional dark blue shesh (Tagelmust in their language). Taking on the veil is associated with the rite of passage to manhood. Else, Marriage is considered a private institution and no one has to interfere with a couple's marriage. The only tradition they know is a 'quarantine' period after one's spouse's death. In addition, there is no commonly punishment for women or men who were unfaithful. However, Tuareg are not supposed to have more than one life partner and once a couple is recognized, the two people are supposed to get married. Finally, it is highly unusual for anyone to remain single and when a partner passes away, the survivor is expected to marry again after the period of quarantine. Exceptions, however, are made if there are no potential partners, or the widow or widower is too old to get married.*

* Source: wikipedia.

Last edited by Mohoender; 09-27-2009 at 01:35 AM.
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