Mano Dayak (1949 – December 15, 1995) was a famous

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 Alg ...

freedom fighter, leader, activist, scholar and negotiator. He led the Tuareg Rebellion in

Ténéré The Ténéré ( Tuareg: Tenere, literally: "desert") is a desert region in the south central Sahara. It comprises a vast plain of sand stretching from northeastern Niger into western Chad, occupying an area of over . The Ténéré's boundaries ...

region, northern

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesAïr 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, the ...

(nearby

Agadez Agadez ( Air Tamajeq: ⴰⴶⴰⴷⴰⵣ, ''Agadaz''), formerly spelled Agadès, is the fifth largest city in Niger, with a population of 110,497 based on the 2012 census. The capital of Agadez Region, it lies in the Sahara desert, and is also ...

city) in 1949. He died in a plane crash in 1995, causing some speculation that it had not been accidental. Early in life he went to

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

in Bloomington, Indiana to study an undergraduate degree in folklore and later pursued a degree in political science at the

Sorbonne University Sorbonne University (french: Sorbonne Université; la Sorbonne: 'the Sorbonne') is a public research university located in Paris, France. The institution's legacy reaches back to 1257 when Sorbonne College was established by Robert de Sor ...

. It was here in France where he met his wife Odile, she was an anthropology student who planned to establish a tourist business with him in the early 1970s.

Accomplishments and legacy

Besides leading the Tuareg rebellion (which he led from his base in the Adrar de Bouss), Mano Dayak made his name as the writer of several important books on Tuareg culture and politics. He also served as the guide of Thierry Sabine during the Paris–Dakar rally. The Tuareg band

Tinariwen Tinariwen ( Tamasheq: , with vowels , pronounced ''tinariwen'' "deserts", plural of ''ténéré'' "desert") is a collective of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. Considered a pioneer of desert blues, the group's gu ...

dedicated a song to him in their album "Aman Iman". Mano Dayak International Airport in

is named after him.

References

External links

Mano Dayak, 1949–1995
Obituary, The Amazigh Voice 1995 deaths Berber Nigeriens Nigerien politicians Tuareg people People from Agadez Indiana University alumni Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Niger 1949 births {{Niger-politician-stub