1. Tuareg and Berbers share a common ancestry and language. In North Africa, the different languages spoken by Berbers are commonly referred to under the overarching term Tamazight, while the Tuareg speak a related language called Tamacheq. Morocco has the largest Amazigh population (40–60%), followed by Algeria (25%). The Tuareg occupy a vast region and live in Niger, Mali, Algeria, Burkina Faso, and Libya and estimates of their numbers range between 600,000 and 1,600,000. See Michael Brett and Elizabeth Fentress,The Berbers(Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 1996), 3. In this study, I use the terms “Berber” and “Tuareg” in order to distinguish between those living in North Africa (the term Berber is used) and those in the Sahel/Sahara (the term Tuareg is used). I use Imazighen/Amazigh to refer to political activists involved in the Amazigh movement to fight against Arab nationalism and for the rights of Tuareg in the Sahel.
2. The Tifinagh script is an Amazigh writing form believed to be related to the ancient Punic script and used primarily by Tuareg women and blacksmiths to write short intimate messages on household objects and jewelry. Tifinagh letters consist of circles and geometric forms.
3. See, n.a. “The History of the Amazigh Flag,” at [www.amazigh-voice.com/history.htm].