NOMADS ARRIVE IN TINDOUF; ANIMALS; VARIOUS TRADERS AND CRAFTSMEN AT WORK; ARATINE DANCERS DANCE THE 'DANCE OF GUNS'.




Initials IF/VS/RM/ES


EDITORS: NOMADS GATHER FOR ANNUAL MARKET IN TINDOUF

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Background: IN THE FAR WESTERN CORNER OF ALGERIA, SOME 200 MILES (320 KMS) FROM THE MOROCCAN COAST, IS THE TRADING VILLAGE OF TINDOUF -- WHERE EARLY THIS MONTH, THE NOMADS OF THE SAHARA GATHERED FOR THEIR ANNUAL MARKET OF CATTLE, SHEEP, CAMELS AND GOODS. TINDOUF, LYING AS IT DOES AT THE JUNCTION OF THE MAIN ROUTES FROM NEIGHBOURING MAURITANIA AND MOROCCO AND ON THE FRINGE OF THE SAHARA DESERT, IS A MAIN TRADING CENTRE FOR THE NOMADIC TRIBES WHO TRAVEL THE SAHARA.
THE YEARLY VISIT OF THE OASIS TOWNS MARKS A TIME FOR CELEBRATION, OFTEN EXPRESSED IN THE TRADITIONAL DANCES OF THE DESERT TRIBES. 'THE DANCE OF THE GUNS', AS PERFORMED BY THE ARATINE TRIBE, EXPRESSES THE DETERMINATION TO DEFEND THE FREEDOM OF THESE FORMER SLAVES. SLAVERY HAS NOW BEEN ABOLISHED, BUT THE MANY DEFENDANTS OF FORMER SLAVES SEEN IN OASIS VILLAGES ATTESTS TO THE FORMER EXTENT OF THE SLAVE CARAVAN TRADE IN THE SAHARA DESERT.
THE SAHARA DESERT GIVES MEAGRE SUPPORT TO SOME 300 -- THOUSAND INHABITANTS, A GREAT MANY OF THEM FORCED INTO A NOMADIC EXISTENCE BY THE SPARSE YIELD OF THE DESERT SANDS. THERE EXIST SCORES OF DIFFERENT TRIBES, SOME NUMBERING ONLY A FEW DOZEN PEOPLE, WHOSE ORIGINS REMAIN OBSCURE AND WHOSE CUSTOMS AND LANGUAGES ARE AS YET UNCATALOGUED. SEEN IN THE FILM, AMONG OTHERS, ARE MEMBERS OF THE REGUIBAT TRIBE, MANY RELYING UPON THE SUCCESS OF THIS ANNUAL BARTERING TO ASSURE THEIR DESERT SURVIVAL FOR ANOTHER YEAR.