A. Bourgeot. Transsaharan Trade, the Sanusiya, and the Twareg Revolts of 1916-17. The Sanusi influence has been a contributive factor of the Twareg revolts rather than their primary cause, which is to be sought in the traditional rivalries between Twareg groups for the control of the transsaharan trade and for political supremacy on the desert and its fringes. Since the inception of French colonial domination an opposition obtained between those leaders (Musa Ag Amastan, Lowai) who co-operated with the colonizers and those (Attisi Ag Amellal, Firhun. . .) who opposed them. The latter allied themselves with the Sanusiya against French imperialism in the wider context of the contemporary competition between imperialist strategies. Thus the Twareg rebellions cannot be considered as merely Sanusi-inspired or Sanusi-manipulated.
Bourgeot André. Les échanges transsahariens, la Senusiya et les révoltes twareg de 1916-17.. In: Cahiers d’études africaines, vol. 18, n°69-70, 1978. pp. 159-185.