This research paper consists of looking at the socio-economic dynamics, through the lens
of land use management in ungoverned spaces, that may have triggered conflicts between Tuareg
people, non-Tuareg farmers, and the central governments of Niger and Mali since the 1960s.
The region is already instable and has seen several violent conflicts. The Tuareg case is
of great importance to the conflict resolution community; without a resolution, the conflict may
spread to the entire Sahel region. The goal of this research is to determine the most important
variables governing the relationship between Tuareg pastoralists, non-Tuareg farmers, and the
central governments; and the relevance of each variable in the context of defining the scope of
the problem from the perspective of all involved parties.