Paula,
Having travelled through Algeria and Northern Niger(February 2007) on motorbike, my thoughts are the following.
1. You are not worth targetting. You are travelling by foot with camels, basic food stuff, etc...you will be afforded the respect that goes with that, despite your gender, skin color, nationality, etc. I believe you've noticed that in your prior travels.
2. The Austrian kidnapping mentioned is an Al-Quaeda issue, not a tuareg issue. It happened in Souther Tunisia to a group travelling by Land Cruiser.
3. Tuaregs are tourist friendly as tourists represent an huge source of income to their region.
4. Tuaregs have an issue with the local gov'ts and companies doing business with the local gov't. The local gov't and those companies are exploiting the resources in the Tuareg regions of their country without sharing it equitably.
Nevertheless, it is your safety and your adventure. You must gather the facts/information first and develop your opinion. There are many opinions out there...but yours is the one that matters the most. So good luck in your decision-you seem to consistently make the right one
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