One of the greatest successes [of Gaddafi's African policy] is his alliance with the Tuaregs [a traditionally nomadic population spread over the region of the Sahara].
In 2005, Qaddafi accorded an unlimited residency permit to all Nigerian and Malian Tuaregs on Libyan territory. Then, in 2006, he called on all the tribes of the Sahara region, including Tuareg tribes, to form a common entity to oppose terrorism and drug trafficking . . .
This is why hundreds of combatants came from Niger and Mali to help Gaddafi [after the outbreak of the rebellion].
In their view, they were indebted to Gaddafi and had an obligation to do so. . . .
Tuareg Soldiers in Libyan Army
Nomads known as the Tuareg are willing to protect his friends and fight with his soldiers for Libya with the Brother Leader Gaddafi and Libyan Army against rebels. They did so spontaneously and out of a sense of debt.
The Touareg has called a general meeting between the heads from Libya , Mali and Niger.
They said that the whole Touareg nation is now against the traitors rebels inside Libya,and this is why the traitors rebels have launched an attack against a Touareg area in Libya and killed all the males in that area.
The Tuareg council had a meeting of 3 or 4 different representatives of the Tuareg tribes of the Sahara.
The Mali Touareg has said that they will launch a war against the Malian goverment if the goverment submits to rats and arrest any of the Gaddafi aides that are now inside Mali. And they issued a WARNING to Niger: If you interfere with Gaddafi, we will overthrow your government. The Tuareg's are KNOWN, by military experts, to be the world's top desert fighters--barring none.
Moreover the Touareg has declared that they are the lords of the desert and that will allow the desert to be crossed only by those that they accept. (this is a direct message to the rebels about the next developments in the desert area of Libya.
Gaddafi received Tuaregs
Tuaregs from Niger came to Tripoli to offer their support to Qaddafi. They did so spontaneously and out of a sense of debt.
Tuareg (meaning 'God has abandoned') is the name used to refer to a tribe of Berber nomads, inhabiting the area that includes southern Libya, Algeria Maroc and Mali all the way down to Burkina Faso in the south.
The Tuareg people were one of the last tribes in Africa to be subjected to Western colonisation, mainly by the French.
For hundreds of years, the Touareg nomadic controlled the trade routes between West Africa and the modern day Maghreb countries, by protecting or robbing convoys containing salt, slaves and other goods. After colonization, several nation states were created in the area such as Algeria, Mali and Niger. The Tuareg revolted against these new governments, causing their numbers to diminish in the sixties and seventies. Severe droughts threatened what was left of their livelihood; many Tuareg fled to southern Libya were the oil industry offered jobs and stability.
Moammar Al Gaddafi
update 24.09.2011.
Qaddafi enlists new 12,000-strong army of Tuareg tribal fighters - Qaddafi and his sons have raised a new army of 12,000 soldiers - all fighters of loyal Tuareg tribes of the Sahara, debkafile’s military sources report.-> http://www.debka.com/article/21335/