Kaocen Ag Geda (1880–1919) (also known as Kaocen, Kaosen, Kawsen) was a

Tuareg The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym: ''Imuhaɣ/Imušaɣ/Imašeɣăn/Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group that principally inhabit the Sahara in a vast area stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern A ...

noble and clan leader. Born in 1880 near wadi Tamazlaght Aïr (modern

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesIkazkazan berber, a subset of the

Kel Owey The Kel Awey (var. Kel Owi, Kel Ewey form ''People of the Bull'') are a Tuareg clan confederation. From the 18th century until the advent of French colonial rule at the beginning of the 20th century, they were a dominant power in the Aïr Mountains ...

confederation. He led the Kaocen revolt, a rebellion against French colonial rule of the area around the

Aïr Mountains The Aïr Mountains or Aïr Massif ( tmh, Ayăr; Hausa: Eastern ''Azbin'', Western ''Abzin'') is a triangular massif, located in northern Niger, within the Sahara. Part of the West Saharan montane xeric woodlands ecoregion, they r ...

of northern Niger, during 1916-17. After the defeat of the revolt, Kaocen fled north; he was captured and hanged in 1919 by local forces in Mourzouk,

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

Family

Born into the wuro's family tribe of Ikazkazan Tuareg in what is now (

) the north of Niger, his exact lineage is debated. His brother Mokhtar Kodogo was his second in command throughout his life, and survived only a year after his death, killed while leading a revolt amongst the

Toubou The Toubou or Tubu (from Old Tebu, meaning "rock people") are an ethnic group native to the Tibesti Mountains that inhabit the central Sahara in northern Chad, southern Libya and northeastern Niger. They live either as herders and nomads or as ...

Fula Fula may refer to: *Fula people (or Fulani, Fulɓe) *Fula language (or Pulaar, Fulfulde, Fulani) **The Fula variety known as the Pulaar language **The Fula variety known as the Pular language **The Fula variety known as Maasina Fulfulde *Al-Fula ...

in the

Sultanate of Damagaram The Sultanate of Damagaram was a Muslim pre-colonial state in what is now southeastern Niger, centered on the city of Zinder. History Rise The Sultanate of Damagaram was founded in 1731 (near Mirriah, modern Niger) by Muslim Kanouri arist ...

Resistance to French

An adherent to the militantly anti-French

Sanusiya The Senusiyya, Senussi or Sanusi ( ar, السنوسية ''as-Sanūssiyya'') are a Muslim political-religious tariqa (Sufi order) and clan in colonial Libya and the Sudan region founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Grand Senussi ( ar, السنوسي ...

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

religious order, Kaocen engaged in numerous, mostly unsuccessful battles against French forces from at least 1909. He raided French columns in what is today eastern Niger and western

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

. He participated in several raids in the

Borkou Borku (french: Borkou) or Borgu (') is a region of Central Africa, mostly in Northern Chad, forming part of the transitional zone between the arid wastes of the Sahara and the fertile lands of the central Sudan. It is bounded N. by the Tibesti ...

Ennedi The Ennedi Plateau is located in the northeast of Chad, in the regions of Ennedi-Ouest and Ennedi-Est. It is considered a part of the group of mountains known as the Ennedi Massif found in Chad, which is one of the nine countries that make up t ...

and

Tibesti The Tibesti Mountains are a mountain range in the central Sahara, primarily located in the extreme north of Chad, with a small portion located in southern Libya. The highest peak in the range, Emi Koussi, lies to the south at a height of and is ...

area, including the 1909 battle at Galakka. Under the direct orders of the Sanusiya leader, he commanded forces at Ennedi in 1910, only to be defeated by the French and forced to retreat to the border of

Darfur Darfur ( ; ar, دار فور, Dār Fūr, lit=Realm of the Fur) is a region of western Sudan. ''Dār'' is an Arabic word meaning "home f – the region was named Dardaju ( ar, دار داجو, Dār Dājū, links=no) while ruled by the Daju, ...

. Returning first to Ounianga Kabir then the

Fezzan Fezzan ( , ; ber, ⴼⵣⵣⴰⵏ, Fezzan; ar, فزان, Fizzān; la, Phazania) is the southwestern region of modern Libya. It is largely desert, but broken by mountains, uplands, and dry river valleys (wadis) in the north, where oases enable ...

(the center of Sanusiya power), Kaocen rallied both tribal subjects and other nomads (not all

) who were loyal to the Sanusiya. There, in October 1914, the Sanusiya leadership declared a

jihad Jihad (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with Go ...

against the French colonialists. In 1916, Kaocen's forces began attacking towns in the Aïr Mountains. With the aid of the Sultan of Agadez, Kaocen's forces placed the garrison under siege on 17 December 1916. They seized all the major towns of the Aïr, including

Ingall Ingall is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Francis Ingall (1908–1998), British Indian Army officer * Lisa Ingall (born 1980), English snooker player * Marjorie Ingall (born 20th century), American non-fiction writer * Mic ...

, Assodé, and

Aouderas Aouderas (alt: ''Adharous'', ''Auderas'') is an oasis village in the Aïr Mountains of northeastern Niger, about north-northeast of the Regions of Niger, regional capital of Agadez. It is also the name of the valley in which the town is located ...

, placing what is today northern Niger under rebel control for over three months.

Defeat and death

On 3 March 1917 a large French force dispatched from

Zinder Zinder (locally, ''Damagaram''), formerly also spelled Sinder, is the third largest city in Niger, with a population of 170,574 (2001 census);

relieved the Agadez garrison, and Kaocen's forces retreated to Tibesti, conducting raids against the French and local towns until he was eventually driven north to the Fezzan. There he was captured and hanged in 1919 by local forces in Mourzouk hostile to the Sanusiya.

Context

Today Kaocen is remembered by Tuareg nationalists as a hero, and his name is a popular given name in Tuareg communities. Memory of the revolt, and the killings in its wake, remain fresh in the minds of modern Tuareg. The episode is seen both as a part of a larger anti-colonial struggle, and amongst some as part of the post independence struggle for autonomy of the existing governments of Niger and its neighbors. The Kaocen revolt can also be placed in a longer history of Tuareg conflict with ethnic Songhay and

Hausa Hausa may refer to: * Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa * Hausa language, spoken in West Africa * Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states * Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse See also * ...

in the south central

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

which goes back to at least the seizure of Agadez by the

Songhay Empire The Songhai Empire (also transliterated as Songhay) was a state that dominated the western Sahel/Sudan in the 15th and 16th century. At its peak, it was one of the largest states in African history. The state is known by its historiographical ...

in 1500 CE, or even the first migrations of

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

Tuaregs south into the Aïr in the 11th to 13th centuries CE. Conflicts have persisted since independence, with major Tuareg risings in Mali's

Adrar des Ifoghas The Adrar des Ifoghas (also Adrar des Iforas; Tamasheq: ⴰⴷⵔⴰⵔ ⵏ ⵉⴼⵓⵖⴰⵙ in Tifinagh; Adrar n Ifoghas; ar, أدرار إيفوغاس Ifoghas' Mountains) is a massif located in the Kidal Region of Mali, reaching into Algeri ...

during 1963-64, the 1990s insurgencies in both Mali and Niger, and a renewed series of insurgencies beginning in the mid-2000s (see

Second Tuareg Rebellion The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds each ...

References

*Samuel Decalo. ''Historical Dictionary of Niger''. Scarecrow Press, London and New Jersey (1979). *Jolijn Geels. ''Niger''. Bradt London and Globe Pequot New York (2006). . *J. D. Fage, Roland Anthony Oliver. ''The Cambridge History of Africa''. Cambridge University Press (1975), p199. ISBN {{DEFAULTSORT:Kaocen, Ag Mohammed Wau Teguidda Berber Nigeriens History of Niger Tuareg rebels People of French West Africa 1880 births 1919 deaths 20th-century executions People executed by hanging Tuareg independence movement