SUMMARY
CRA (Coordination de la résistance armée, or Coordination of the Armed Resistance) was an armed umbrella organization involved in the Aïr and Azawad conflict in Niger. CRA claimed to represent the Touareg, a traditionally nomadic ethnic group residing in northern Niger. The Touareg has been subjected to physical, political, social, and economic discrimination by political elites – largely dominated by the Djerma and Songhai ethnic groups – that are located in southern Niger. CRA’s primary goal was the creation of an autonomous Touareg region (“Aïr and Azawad”) in parts of Niger’s northern Agadez region. However, the group also demanded increased Touareg participation in the central government, demilitarization of the Touareg areas, substantial economic investments in these areas, and the teaching of Tamashek (the Touareg language) in schools.
CRA was created by the merger of several Touareg armed groups, including FLAA, FLT (Front de libération de Tamoust, or Tamoust Liberation Front), FPLS (Patriotic Front for the Liberation of the Sahara), and ARLN (Armée révolutionaire de liberation du Nord-Niger, or Revolutionary Army for the Liberation of North Niger) in September 1993. However, it was not until on 23 February 1994 that CRA openly stated its goals. The creation of the organization was an attempt to unify the otherwise divided and competing Touareg armed factions; for example, both FLT and FPLS were FLAA splinter factions created by internal disagreements. FLT commander Mano Dayak led CRA, while Rhissa ag Boula (the leader of FLAA) served as “vice-president”; it was not possible to find a reliable estimation regarding the group’s total cadre strength.
On 9 October 1994, CRA and the Government of Niger signed the “Ouagadougou Agreement”, which contained a cessation of hostilities and ceasefire arrangement. Internal differences regarding the agreement and personal rivalries between the constituent factions led to the collapse of CRA in early 1995. In March the same year, an understanding between the former CRA member groups was reached, and a new coalition, ORA (Organisation de la résistance armée, or Organization of the Armed Resistance) was created under Rhissa ag Boula’s leadership. ORA was more loosely organized, and gave more autonomy to the member groups than its predecessor. FLT then withdrew from ORA in June 1995 to create a “revived CRA”. In November 1996, six ex-CRA factions participated in the creation of the UFRA umbrella organization, which became active in Nigerien conflict over government in 1997.
