The Yearning for Relief: A History of the Sawaba Movement in Niger

By Klaas Walraven

The Sawaba movement and its rebellion in Niger are a totally neglected subject. Klaas van Walraven traces this story from a social history perspective, placing an entire generation of activists, removed from the official record, back into mainstream Nig?rien history. Representing a genuine social movement, Sawaba formed Niger's first autonomous government under French suzerainty. Overthrown by the Gaullists and persecuted, it attempted a comeback with a guerrilla campaign (1960-1966), which ended in failure and led to the movement's destruction.
The Yearning for Relief - based on numerous interviews with survivors and a vast range of archival sources, including France's secret service - is essential reading for the reappraisal of Niger's history and the role of militant nationalist movements in the decolonisation of French West Africa.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 900424574X
• ISBN13: 9789004245747
• Release Date: February 2013
• Publisher: Brill
• Length: 996 Pages
• Weight: 3.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.0" x 6.1" x 9.4"