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Mali’s desert riders

The nomadic Tuareg people who live between Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Algeria and Libya have been fighting for increased autonomy for more than 50 years. Their plight is closely linked to the crisis unfolding in northern Mali.

Swissinfo.ch photographer Thomas Kern travelled to northern Mali to find these “blue men” of the desert, who have now largely given up their nomadic lifestyle. Kern visited the area between 2001 and 2004, before Islamic radicalists arrived in the region.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR