The Yearning for Relief

A History of the Sawaba Movement in Niger
Erscheinungsjahr 2013
ISBN: 978-90-04-24574-7
Verlag: Brill

Buch, Englisch, Band 25, 968 Seiten, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 239 mm, Gewicht: 1474 g

Reihe: Afrika-Studiecentrum Series

The Sawaba movement and its rebellion in Niger are a totally neglected subject. Klaas van Walraven traces this story from a social history perspective, placing an entire generation of activists, removed from the official record, back into mainstream Nigérien history. Representing a genuine social movement, Sawaba formed Niger’s first autonomous government under French suzerainty. Overthrown by the Gaullists and persecuted, it attempted a comeback with a guerrilla campaign (1960-1966), which ended in failure and led to the movement’s destruction.
The Yearning for Relief – based on numerous interviews with survivors and a vast range of archival sources, including France’s secret service – is essential reading for the reappraisal of Niger’s history and the role of militant nationalist movements in the decolonisation of French West Africa.

Zielgruppe

All interested in the history of Niger. Also of interest to specialists of decolonisation, the history of French West Africa, militant social movements, nationalism and rebellions.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Walraven, Klaas van

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Kultur Interessengruppen, Lobbyismus und Protestbewegungen
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Gewalt Revolutionäre Gruppen und Bewegungen, Bewaffnete Konflikte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Mentalitäts- und Sozialgeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Afrikanische Geschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

CONTENTS
Preface and Acknowledgements. xi
Abbreviations. xix
List of Illustrations. xxiii
Prologue: Historicising Sawaba. 1

PART I
DELIVERANCE, CONQUERED AND LOST
1. The Rise of the UDN, 1946–1957. 41
Niger’s First Political Party. 48
Djibo Bakary and the PPN-RDA. 56
The Righter of Wrongs: Towards the Union Démocratique Nigérienne. 63
Agitation and Manoeuvres, 1954–1956. 74
The Triumph of the Camel. 84
2. To Revolutionary Supremacy, March 1957–May 1958. 93
Sawaba as Government. 104
Tam-Tam: Canvassing in the Late 1950s. 112
Riot in April. 119
Bar Rivoli: Consummating Victory. 132
3. The Challenge of the Fifth Republic. 141
The Love for All Peoples. 148
The Blackmail of Isolation. 158
Ali Amadou and de Gaulle on the Place Protêt. 167
The Hour of Sputnik. 178
4. A Referendum. 189
A Corsican Coup. 195
Defections and Regrouping. 203
Campaigning. 212
Polling. 223
5. Declining Fortunes. 237
Deceit and Dissolution: The Break-Up of the Assembly. 246
Elections. 251
Pistols and Polling Booths: Campaigning under Harassment 262
Fall. 272

PART II
PREPARING FOR RELIEF
6. Going Underground, 1958–1961. 283
A French Colony. 292
Government Architecture and Party Mobilisation. 297
We Celebrated Independence in Our Cell: Patterns and
Themes of Emerging Opposition. 307
7. Building to Undermine, 1959–1962. 321
Noms de Plume and Lorry Drivers: Early Communication,
Funding and Intelligence. 332
Shock Troops: Early Agitation, Meetings and Missions. 341
The Bars of Zinder: Towns and Agitation. 350
8. Repression, Dissension, and the Road to Arms. 361
Siberia. 362
I Forgot To Tell. 366
Discord.

Über Autor(innen)

Walraven, Klaas van
Klaas van Walraven, Ph.D. (1997), researcher at the African Studies Centre, Leiden, is an historian and political scientist working on West Africa, in particular Niger. He has also written on international relations and is co-editor of the Africa Yearbook: Politics, Economy and Society South of the Sahara.