Amenokal (Tuareg Ancestral Spirit of Leadership)

spirit · Mali · Africa

Not an ancestral spirit but a real political office: the amenokal (amenukal) is the supreme traditional chief of a Tuareg confederation, head of an 'ettebel' (drum) chiefship among groups such as the Kel Ahaggar, Kel Adagh and Kel Air. Succession passes among the kin of a deceased holder, and authority rests on prestige and consensus rather than force.

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