National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad

National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad
ⵜⴰⵏⴾⵔⴰ ⵏ ⵜⵓⵎⴰⵙⵜ ⴹ ⴰⵙⵍⴰⵍⵓ ⵏ ⴰⵣⴰⵓⴰⴷ
الحركة الوطنية لتحرير أزواد
Mouvement national de libération de l'Azawad
LeadersBilal Ag Acherif[1] (General Secretary)
Mahmoud Ag Aghaly (President of the political bureau)
Mohamed Ag Najem (Head of military operations)
Moussa Ag Acharatoumane
Ibrahim Ag Bahanga
Dates of operationOctober 2011 – present
HeadquartersKidal (until 2023)
Active regionsNorthern Mali (former State of Azawad)
IdeologyNationalism[2]
Autonomy
Berberism
Secularism
Size9,000–10,000 (in 2012, per MNLA sources)[3]
3,000–4,000 (2023)[4]
Part of Coordination of Azawad Movements
Allies Libya (under Jamahiriya) (2011)
 Libya (under NTC) (2011–2012)
Ansar Dine (2011–2012)
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (alleged)[5]
 Ukraine[6]
Opponents Mali
Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa
Ansar Dine (since June 2012)
Battles and wars2012–present Northern Mali conflict
Websitewww.mnlamov.net
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The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad or the Azawad National Liberation Movement[7] (French: Mouvement national de libération de l'Azawad, MNLA),[a] formerly the National Movement of Azawad[9] (French: Mouvement national de l'Azawad, MNA), is a militant organization based in northern Mali.

The movement is mostly made up of ethnic Tuareg, some of whom fought in the 2011 Libyan Civil War, either for the Libyan army[10] or for the rebel National Transitional Council,[11] and returned to Mali after the war.[12] The movement was founded in October 2011 and has stated[13] that it includes other Saharan peoples.

The Malian government has accused the movement of having links to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.[5] The MNLA denies this claim. Human Rights Watch and FIDH have accused MNLA of terrorism and war crimes,[14][15] a conclusion supported by the ICC.[16] By 1 April 2012 the MNLA and Ansar Dine were in control of virtually all of northern Mali, including its three largest cities of Kidal, Gao, and Timbuktu. Tensions between the MNLA and Ansar Dine culminated in the Battle of Gao, in which the MNLA lost control of northern Malian cities to Ansar Dine and the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa.

  1. ^ "Bureau Exécutif du Mouvement National de Libération de L'Azawad (MNLA)". Mnlamov. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  2. ^ Mann, Gregory (5 April 2012), "The Mess in Mali", Foreign Policy, archived from the original on 29 October 2014, retrieved 10 March 2017
  3. ^ "Images et témoignage exclusifs du nord du Mali: un colonel du MNLA dévoile son arsenal militaire" (in French). France 24. 21 June 2012. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  4. ^ "Latest attack by Tuareg rebels signals northern Mali is back at war". 6 October 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Mali government official says al-Qaida fighters among those attacking northern towns". The Washington Post. 27 January 2012. Archived from the original on 5 June 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  6. ^ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78ld18lgr9o24.html
  7. ^ Pflanz, Mike (1 April 2012), "Mali rebels seize Timbuktu", The Telegraph, London, archived from the original on 17 June 2018, retrieved 4 April 2018
    Tuareg rebellion sparks crisis in Mali, Al Jazeera English, 18 February 2012, archived from the original on 5 April 2012, retrieved 2 April 2012
  8. ^ "Mouvement National de Liberation de l'Azawad". Mnlamov.net (in French). MNLA. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Africa was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Vogl, Martin (31 January 2012). "Tuareg rebels attack 6th town in Mali". Salon. Associated Press. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference mnlamov was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "De retour de Libye, les combattants touaregs inquiètent Bamako". Les Observateurs - France 24 (in French). 10 November 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  13. ^ Stephen, Tankel (22 May 2018). With us and against us : how America's partners help and hinder the war on terror. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231547345. OCLC 1037351563.
  14. ^ "Mali: War Crimes by Northern Rebels. Armed Groups Commit Rape, Use Child Soldiers". 30 April 2012.
  15. ^ "War crimes in North Mali" (PDF). December 2012.
  16. ^ "Situation in Mali Article 53(1) Report" (PDF). 16 January 2013.


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