Bellah Histories of Decolonization, Iklan Paths to Freedom: The Meanings of Race and Slavery in the Late-Colonial Niger Bend (Mali), 1944-1960.

The article discusses ideas concerning slavery and race in Mali, or Niger Bend, focusing on the period of 1944 to 1960. It examines the servitude and slavery of the Bellah-Iklan people and their relations with Tuaregs and Arabs, commenting on connections between ideas of slavery, blackness, and social status. The author reflects on the French colonial administration and colonial reforms. He explores Malian politics during this era, considering the political party the Union Soudanaise-Rassemblement Démocratique Africain (US-RDA), and discusses accusations concerning the trafficking of Bellah-Iklan slaves to Saudi Arabia.