Azawad conflict

Last updated
Azawad conflict
Part of Northern Mali conflict
Date27 June 2012 – present
Location
Status

Ongoing

  • MNLA Independence hijacked by Islamists
  • Northern Mali ceded to Malian government
  • MNLA-Malian conflict
  • Tuareg-Fulani secretarial violence
Belligerents

MNLA flag.svgCMADrapeau.svg Coordination of Azawad Movements
(CMA) [1]

GATIA flag.svg GATIA (2023–present) [2]

Flag of Jihad.svg Al-Qaeda

Flag of Jihad.svg Nigerian jihadist volunteers (2012–13)


AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg  Islamic State

Commanders and leaders

MNLA flag.svg Mahmoud Ag Aghaly
MNLA flag.svg Bilal Ag Acherif  (WIA)
MNLA flag.svg Moussa Ag Acharatoumane
MNLA flag.svg Ag Mohamed Najem
MNLA flag.svg Moussa Ag Attaher
MNLA flag.svg Machkanani Ag Balla
MNLA flag.svg Bouna Ag Tahib  
MNLA flag.svg Wari Ag Ibrahim  

Contents


Flag of the Arab Movement of Azawad.svg Ahmed Ould Sidi Muhammed
Flag of the Arab Movement of Azawad.svg Boubacar Taleb
AQMI Flag.svg Iyad Ag Ghaly
AQMI Flag.svg Mokhtar Belmokhtar  
AQMI Flag.svg Abdelhamid Abou Zeid   [7] [8]
AQMI Flag.svg Abdelmalek Droukdel   [9]
AQMI Flag.svg Ahmed al-Tilemsi   [5]
AQMI Flag.svg Omar Ould Hamaha   [10]
Flag of Jihad.svg Ba Ag Moussa  
Strength

9,000 - 10,000


500
10,000+
Casualties and losses

19 killed, 60 wounded, 40 captured (2012)
17 killed, 20 wounded (2013)
1 killed, 1 wounded (2014)


~10 killed
~100 killed, 30 captured

The Azawad conflict has been a conflict in Northern Mali between the MNLA, a Tuareg nationalist group, and a coalition of Islamist groups. The conflict began when Northern Mali declared itself independent from the government, creating the unrecognized state of Azawad. The Islamists and MNLA formed an alliance in combatting the Malian government. An internal conflict sprung up over the imposing of sharia law in the new state and the MNLA distancing itself from the coalition to a democratic state. Islamists gained popularity amongst anti-Tuareg tribes which helped them overthrow MNLA authority in Gao. Both sides clashed repeatedly leading to the Battle of Gao, where the MNLA were driven from the North's two main cities, Gao and Timbuktu. The MNLA soon lost all of its strongholds in the North in a matter of months. They went into hiding secretly gaining support and strength. The beginning of 2013 led to the start of the French intervention in Mali that ousted the Islamists from the North's cities and brought back Malian authority. The MNLA supported the French and Chadian forces in military operations against Islamists' sanctuaries in the mountains. The MNLA recaptured several important towns in the Kidal Region but refused to disarm or hand them over to the Malian government. A series of Islamist-sponsored terror attacks plagued MNLA forces for siding with the French. Checkpoints and bases were targeted with suicide bombings that targeted MNLA members. A peace deal was reached with the Malian army in June that let the army transverse freely in MNLA-occupied zones that were under Malian jurisdiction. Ethnic violence sprung over the murder of a Tuareg Government officer's family. The MNLA responded by harassing and murdering Fulani civilians, who constitute a majority of Islamist rebels. The Islamists stepped up their attacks in one such instance massacring 30 Tuareg merchants. The MNLA has since been battling Islamists.

Prelude - Conflict

Since its Independence in April 2012, the MNLA has been skeptical of Islamist influence over their new state's future and the implementation of sharia law. Various countries including France have denounced the MNLA's cooperation with terror groups and refused to recognize its new status due to various incidents in its fight against the Malian government which included a massacre that killed 93 Malian soldiers allegedly carried out by Islamists. Two main incidents occurred on the streets of Gao that caused confusion when civilians waving the Malian flag were fired upon by MNLA members which was denied by the MNLA itself, blamed on Islamists. Many did not support the new state of Azawad and Tuareg dominance over their land. Islamists popularity and influence grew in numbers eventually outnumbering MNLA defenders in Gao. The city was taken on June 27, over an argument that escalated into a full-scale battle. The MNLA Secretary General Bilal Ag Acherif was wounded in the battle that also killed four colonels. The MNLA's headquarters and any government building were looted along with the Azawad flag being replaced with sharia. Timbuktu was evacuated by the MNLA a day later after an ultimatum to leave. Resistance grew against Islamic rule in MNLA supported towns but never posed a great threat. On 16 November, the MNLA launched an offensive attack to reclaim their former city base of Gao from Islamists. They did not make it far before their army routed and was chased across the Niger border. Nine MNLA members were wounded, including one seriously. Islamists casualties were 13 dead. Four days later the Islamists launched their own offensive against towns with MNLA presence. The town of Ménaka's defenders were capitulated in a two-day siege that killed one MNLA member and seven pro-MNLA self-defense volunteers including a prominent political leader Alwabegat Ag Salakatou. Its disputed how many Islamists were killed. The MNLA hoped to establish Ménaka as a central base from which to launch counterattacks. In December, the now displaced MNLA began peace talks with the Malian government and relinquished its previous goal for Independence in favor of self-rule in Northern Mali. Almost half of the MNLA's combatants deserted for better pay in Islamists factions since the declaration of Independence in April 2012. At this time the MNLA controlled no big localities and was only strong in rural desert areas in the North, having been driven off from cities in the South. Troop build ups in the MNLA ranks were reportedly preparing for another offensive.

At the start of 2013, the MNLA retook its key town of Kidal after it was abandoned by French air-strikes. The Azawad flag was raised in every town they took each one without a fight. Islamists guerrillas operating the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains launched an offensive of their own terrorizing MNLA dominated towns with suicide bombings. The first hit the town of Khalil on 22 February, after an explosion ripped at an MNLA checkpoint killing three members. The second in that week killed seven members at another checkpoint in Kidal. Fighting resumed the next month leading to the Battle of In Arab. Five members were killed in a day long battle with an elite terrorist brigade led by Mokhtar Bel Mokhtar, the Signatories of Blood. In June 2013, the MNLA agreed on a cease-fire with the Malian army allowing them to have authority over MNLA occupied towns, granting autonomy for Tuareg civilians, and dis-arming the MNLA with an exception for self-defense purposes into a political organization. The MNLA also agreed upon taking back its claim for Independence instead for greater autonomy. The peace-deal lasted over three months before both sides claimed it was breached. In November, the Islamists suspected murder of members of a Tuareg Malian army general's family led to an ethnic conflict between MNLA Tuareg and Islamists dominated Fulani. The situation escalated in February 2014, when 30-35 Tuareg merchants were massacred at the hands of Fulani Islamists. Reprisal attacks targeting Fulani Islamists resumed into an armed confrontation that killed a MNLA member.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azawad</span> Tuareg name for a territory in northern Mali

Azawad, or Azawagh, was a short-lived unrecognised state lasting between 2012 and 2013. Azawagh (Azawaɣ) is the generic Tuareg Berber name for all Tuareg Berber areas, especially the northern half of Mali and northern and western Niger. The Azawadi declaration of independence was declared unilaterally by the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) in 2012, after a Tuareg rebellion drove the Malian Armed Forces from the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kidal</span> Commune and town in Kidal Region, Mali

Kidal is a town and commune in the desert region of northern Mali. The town lies 285 km (177 mi) northeast of Gao and is the capital of the Kidal Cercle and the Kidal Region. The commune has an area of about 9,910 km2 (3,830 sq mi) and includes the town of Kidal and 31 other settlements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ménaka</span> Commune and town in Mali

Ménaka is a town and urban commune in Ménaka Cercle and Ménaka Region in eastern Mali. It is the seat and the largest town in the cercle and region. The town is set amidst the rocky outcrops of the Ader Douchi hills, and is served by Ménaka Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuareg rebellion (2012)</span> Early stage of the Mali War

The 2012 Tuareg rebellion was the early phase of the Mali War; from January to April 2012, a war was waged against the Malian government by rebels with the goal of attaining independence for the northern region of Mali, known as Azawad. It was led by the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and was part of a series of insurgencies by traditionally nomadic Tuaregs which date back at least to 1916. The MNLA was formed by former insurgents and a significant number of heavily armed Tuaregs who fought in the Libyan Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad</span> Militant group in Northern Mali (2011–present)

The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad or the Azawad National Liberation Movement, formerly the National Movement of Azawad, is a militant organization based in northern Mali.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ansar Dine</span> Militant Islamist organization in Mali

Ansar Dine (Arabic: أنصار الدين ʾAnṣār ad-Dīn, also transliterated Ançar Deen; meaning "helpers of the religion" also known as Ansar al-Din was a Salafi jihadist group led by Iyad Ag Ghaly. Ansar Dine sought to impose absolute sharia across Mali. The group took over the city of Timbuktu in 2012, which prompted the French-led intervention, Operation Serval.

Iyad Ag Ghaly, also known as Abū al-Faḍl, is a Tuareg Islamist militant from Mali's Kidal Region. He has been active in Tuareg rebellions against the Malian government since the 1980s – particularly in the early 1990s. In 1988, he founded the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Azawad. In the latest episode of the Tuareg upheavals in 2012, he featured as the founder and leader of the Islamist militant group Ansar Dine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Gao</span> Battle between MNLA and MOJWA in Gao, Mali

The Battle of Gao was fought between the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and the Islamist Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), along with its ally Ansar Dine, in Gao between 26–28 June 2012. By the 28 June, Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal, the three biggest cities in the disputed secessionist region of Azawad within what is recognised as Malian territory, were under the control of Ansar Dine and its Islamist allies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mali War</span> Armed conflict in Mali that started in January 2012

The Mali War is an ongoing conflict that started in January 2012 between the northern and southern parts of Mali in Africa. On 16 January 2012, several insurgent groups began fighting a campaign against the Malian government for independence or greater autonomy for northern Mali, which they called Azawad. The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), an organization fighting to make this area of Mali an independent homeland for the Tuareg people, had taken control of the region by April 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Battle of Ménaka</span> Last battle fought by the state of Azawad

The Second Battle of Ménaka was the last battle fought by the state of Azawad, as they were defeated by an Islamist coalition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the Mali War</span>

The following is a timeline of major events during the Northern Mali conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chadian intervention in northern Mali</span> Military invention since 2013 during the Mali War

Chadian intervention in northern Mali refers to military intervention by Chad during the Mali War. Since its first deployment, the Chadian military has suffered 100 casualties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arab Movement of Azawad</span> Arab military organization active in northern Mali

The Arab Movement of Azawad is an Arab military organization active in Azawad/northern Mali. Initially known as the National Liberation Front of Azawad, it was formed in early 2012, during the 2012 Tuareg rebellion. The MAA claims to be a secular, non-terrorist organization, whose main objective is to defend the interests of all the Arab peoples of northern Mali.

The following lists events that happened during 2013 in the Republic of Mali.

The Battle of Idelimane took place during the Internal Conflict in Azawad.

El Hadj Ag Gamou, born December 31, 1964, in Tidermène, Mali, is an Imghad Tuareg Malian division general. Gamou is currently the governor of Kidal Region since November 22, 2023, and has also been the head of his faction of Imghad Tuareg Self-Defense Group and Allies since the group's foundation. Prior to his governorship, Gamou served in the Malian army, commanding Malian troops against Ansar Dine and the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) in the early stages of the Mali War.

On July 26, 2017, clashes broke out between the pro-government GATIA Imghad Tuareg militia and anti-government Idnane Tuareg rebels from the Coordination of Azawad Movements.

On February 6, 2014, between thirty-one and thirty-five Imghad Tuareg civilians were massacred by Fulani militants that may have been connected to the jihadist outfit Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA) in and around Tamkoutat, Ménaka Region, Mali.

On November 8, 2013, clashes broke out between Malian forces and the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) in Amazragane, Ménaka Region, Mali.

On February 26, 2013, militants from MOJWA conducted a suicide bombing on fighters from the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and Islamic Movement of Azawad (MIA) in Kidal, Mali.

References

  1. "Mali's Azawad movements unite in a bid to pressure the ruling junta". Africanews. 9 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  2. "Tuaregs from Northern Mali call for the 'fall of the junta'". RFI. 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  3. "Gunfire breaks out as Tuareg rebels enter northern Mali city". montrealgazette.com. 31 March 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2012.[ dead link ]
  4. "Tuareg-jihadists alliance: Qaeda conquers more than half of Mali". middle-east-online.com. 4 April 2012. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  5. 1 2 "Islamist group claims responsibility for Mali attack that killed 5". reuters.com. 7 March 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  6. 1 2 Comolli (2015), pp. 28, 103, 171.
  7. "France confirms death of Islamist commander Abou Zeid". bbc.com. 23 March 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  8. "L'Elysée et l'armée française ne confirment pas la mort d'Abou Zeid". lemonde.fr. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  9. "Al-Qaeda chief in north Africa Abdelmalek Droukdel killed – France". BBC News Online . 5 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  10. "French air strikes kill wanted Islamist militant 'Red Beard' in Mali". reuters.com. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2014.

Works cited