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56-739: The region is part of northern Mali that was separated and declared independent by the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) during the Tuareg rebellion of 2012 . In the course of the conflict, the MNLA lost control of the territory to Islamist militias. Tombouctou Region is world-famous for its capital, the ancient city Timbuktu ( French : Tombouctou ), synonymous to 19th-century Europeans with an elusive, hard-to-reach destination. The city gained fame in 1390 when its ruler, Mansa Musa I , went on

112-605: A pilgrimage to Mecca , stopping with his entourage in Egypt and dispensing enough gold to devalue the Egyptian currency. This started the legend of a city in the interior of Africa, where roads were said to be paved with gold and buildings topped with roofs of gold. The city is located at the southern edge of the Sahara , near the Niger River , which has headwaters in the highlands very near

168-831: A terrorist organization by the United Nations , Australia , Canada , Malaysia , Russia , the United Arab Emirates , the United Kingdom and the United States . Membership is mostly drawn from the Algerian and local Saharan communities (such as the Tuaregs and Berabiche tribal clans of Mali ), as well as Moroccans from city suburbs of the North African country. The group has also been suspected of having links with

224-669: A conclusion supported by the ICC . 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 . Since 1916 there have been at least five Tuareg rebellions. After

280-481: A further 10,000 people had crossed into Niger during the clashes. On 8 February 2012, Tinzawaten was wrested from central government control after Malian troops took a "tactical withdrawal" following the death of one soldier and injuries to two other soldiers, amid calls by the United Nations for a halt to the offensive. One rebel was also killed and another was wounded, while the MNLA seized two military bases and

336-506: A local barracks and those that supported the MNLA, who sought to keep Malian soldiers out. Kidal's Deputy Mayor Abda Ag Kazina said: "The Malian army arrived in Kidal. There were two demonstrations, one was to support the army and the other was to prevent the army from returning. There were shots fired in the air and the protesters dispersed." On 28 November 2013, after a few hundred Tuareg protesters were violently confronted by Malian soldiers over

392-505: A more effective force than those of the neighboring West African nations "because of our knowledge of the ground and the populations". Following the French intervention in Mali, Malian troops and the MNLA signed a peace agreement. This allowed for Malian troops to return to such cities as Kidal. There were still reports of conflict between those who supported the presence of the 200 Malian soldiers at

448-468: A national liberation movement to put in an army capable of securing our land and an executive office capable of forming democratic institutions. We declare the independence of Azawad from this day on. In the same interview, Mossa Ag Attaher also promised that "Azawad" would "respect all the colonial frontiers that separate Azawad from its neighbours" and insisted that "Azawad"'s declaration of independence has "some international legality". Two days following

504-532: A senior U.S. intelligence official source, claimed a day later that the incident was not related to bubonic plague, but was an accident involving either a biological or chemical agent . Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is one of the region's wealthiest, best-armed militant groups due to the payment of ransom demands by humanitarian organizations and Western governments. It is reported that 90 per cent of AQIM resources come from ransoms paid in return for

560-662: A senior leader of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), planning operations and kidnapping Westerners in North and West Africa . He was wanted by the US Rewards for Justice Program with a $ 5 million bounty for his arrest. Hammam played a key role in perpetuating AQIM's terrorist activities in West Africa and Mali, and participated in several AQIM terrorist attacks in Mauritania. In December 2013 Yahya Abu Hammam gave an interview to Aljazeera in which he threatened France's military intervention in

616-543: A team to investigate the violence. It also condemned their actions and called for logistical support for Mali. After the March coup d'état the MNLA, as well as Ansar Dine, took control of several small towns and also the bigger cities of Kidal , Gao , and Timbuktu . Timbuktu was read by Reuters of being the culmination of the plan to capture northern Mali. The MNLA announced that by taking Timbuktu it sought to "dislodge Mali's remaining political and military administration" in

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672-578: Is Organization of al-Qa'eda in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb ( Qaedat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Maghrib al-Islami ), often shortened to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb ( AQIM , from French al-Qaïda au Maghreb islamique, AQMI ). Prior to January 2007 it was known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat ( Arabic : الجماعة السلفية للدعوة والقتال al-Jamā'ah as-Salafiyyah lid-Da'wah wal-Qiṭāl ) and

728-509: Is an Islamist militant organization (of al-Qaeda ) that aims to overthrow the Algerian government and institute an Islamic state . To that end, it is currently engaged in an insurgency campaign in the Maghreb and Sahel regions . The group originated as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC). It has since declared its intention to attack European (including Spanish and French) and American targets. The group has been designated

784-521: Is considered to be secular. The Tuareg fighters within the ranks of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad have been considered former allies of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi which may have organized after the Tuareg Rebellion between 2007 and 2009. The government of Mali has accused the movement of cooperating with AQIM. The MNLA have denied this claim. According to sources in

840-455: Is one such officer, who led the charge to capture two cities. The General-Secretary of the movement is Bilal Ag Acherif . The spokesman for the MNLA's political wing is Hama Ag Mahmoud. Following the independence declaration, Mahmoud Ag Aghaly was appointed as the head of the interim Executive Committee of the MNLA that was said to govern "Azawad". Following their victory over the Malian army,

896-477: The 2016 Grand-Bassam shootings in Ivory Coast being carried out by black AQIM members. AQIM commander Yahya Abou El-Hammam, in an interview with a Mauritanian website, was quoted as saying "Today, the mujahideen have built up brigades and battalions with sons of the region, our black brothers, Peuls , Bambaras and Songhai ". Key leaders and operatives of this group included Yahya Abu El Hammam , who served as

952-579: The Atlantic coast before its long 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi) journey to the north east, before finally turning south to reach the Atlantic. The riches of the kingdom were due to Tombouctou's position as the southern terminus of the trans-Saharan trade in gold, salt, kola nuts, copper and slaves. Timbuktu's decline began with the capture of the city by Morocco in 1592. Many Islamic scholars were dispersed, some to Morocco. Morocco had difficulty holding onto

1008-483: The Azawadi Declaration of Independence , and the international community continues to recognise Bamako 's claim to the region. The region is divided into five cercles : The larger parts of Timbuktu and Goundam cercles (323,326 km² with about 134,000 inhabitants) were separated in 2016 to form the new Taoudenit Region . National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad The National Movement for

1064-494: The Horn of Africa -based militant group Al-Shabaab . AQIM has focused on kidnapping for ransom as a means of raising funds and is estimated to have raised more than $ 50 million in the last decade. On 2 March 2017, the Sahara branch of AQIM merged with Macina Liberation Front , Ansar Dine , and Al-Mourabitoun , into Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin . The group's official name

1120-512: The Libyan army or for the rebel National Transitional Council , and returned to Mali after the war. The movement was founded in October 2011 and has stated that it includes other Saharan peoples. The Malian government has accused the movement of having links to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb . The MNLA denies this claim. Human Rights Watch and FIDH have accused MNLA of terrorism and war crimes,

1176-549: The September 11 attacks . As followers of a Qutbist strand of Salafist jihadism , the members of the GSPC were thought to share al-Qaeda's general ideological outlook. After the deposition of Hassan Hattab, various leaders of the group pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda. In November 2007, Nigerian authorities arrested five men for alleged possession of seven sticks of dynamite and other explosives. Nigerian prosecutors alleged that three of

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1232-641: The Azawad (FPA), and stating that Tuareg independence was no longer a "realistic goal" and that they must concentrate on fighting the Islamists. On 16 November 2012, MNLA forces launched an offensive against Gao in an attempt to retake the town. However, by the end of the day, the Tuaregs were beaten back by the MOJWA forces after the Islamists laid an ambush for them. On 19 November 2012, MOJWA and AQIM forces took over Ménaka from

1288-636: The French acronym GSPC ( Groupe Salafiste pour la Prédication et le Combat ). In January 2007, the GSPC announced that it would now operate under the name of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). On 19 January 2009, the UK newspaper The Sun reported that there had been an outbreak of bubonic plague at an AQIM training camp in the Tizi Ouzou province in Algeria. The Washington Times , in an article based on

1344-485: The Liberation of Azawad or the Azawad National Liberation Movement ( French : Mouvement national de libération de l'Azawad , MNLA ), formerly the National Movement of Azawad (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

1400-408: The MNLA established their main base at the airport of Gao where they had stocked 30 functional tanks and 10 being repaired. An unnamed commander of the MNLA said that at the beginning they were mainly armed from weapons brought by fighters returning from Libya, but that later of their equipment was seized from the Malian army. Ibrahim Ag Mohamed Assaleh , a former external relations representative of

1456-423: The MNLA has declared: The MNLA (National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad) would like to make it clear that within the MNLA military command there are: old rebels from the uprisings of the 1990s (MFUA – Movements of the united Fronts of Azawad), of 2006 (MTNM – The Tuareg Movement of Northern Mali, which was led by the late Ibrahim Ag Bahanga), fighters who have returned from Libya but who mostly participated in

1512-732: The MNLA, split off from the party in March 2014 and formed the Coalition for the People of Azawad . He was said to be frustrated at the "hardline" negotiations position Bilal Ag Acherif took when dealing with the Malian government. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Al-Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb ( Arabic : تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد المغرب الإسلامي , romanized :  Tanẓīm al-Qā'idah fī Bilād al-Maghrib al-Islāmī ), or AQIM ,

1568-407: The MNLA. On 14 January 2013, after French intervention in the conflict had commenced, the MNLA declared it would fight alongside the French and even the Malian government to "end terrorism in Azawad". At the same time the MNLA warned the Malian forces not to enter territories it considered its own before an official autonomy agreement was signed. The spokesman also declared that the MNLA would be

1624-470: The Malian government, the MNLA has been rumored to have factionalized with the Islamist Ansar Dine claiming control of the region after the capture of several cities, previously attributed to the MNLA. Though the international media has linked the MNLA to Ansar Dine and AQIM, the MNLA has distanced itself from both groups, stating that their sole goal is the independence of "Azawad". However, after

1680-501: The Sahara would open "the gates of hell for the French people". In July 2010, Hammam was reportedly involved in the killing of a seventy-eight-year-old French hostage in Niger. In 2006, Hammam was sentenced to death in absentia by Algerian authorities for terrorism-related charges. Hammam was killed by French forces in February 2019. Allegations of the former GSPCs links to al-Qaeda predated

1736-666: The Somalia-based Al-Shabaab , and the Nigeria-based Boko Haram were as of June 2012 attempting to synchronize and coordinate their activities in terms of sharing funds, training and explosives. Ham added that he believed that the collaboration presented a threat to both U.S. homeland security and the local authorities. However, according to counter-terrorism specialist Rick Nelson with the Washington-based Center for Strategic International Studies, there

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1792-460: The Tunisian and Algerian Governments in a video released on 13 January 2011. Al Qaeda offered military aid and training to the demonstrators, calling on them to overthrow "the corrupt, criminal and tyrannical" regime, calling for "retaliation" against the Tunisian government, and also calling for the overthrow of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika . AQIM leader Abu Musab Abdul Wadud appeared in

1848-415: The accused had trained for two years with the then Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat in Algeria. In late 2011, the splinter group Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa was founded in order to spread jihadi activities further into West Africa. Their military leader is Omar Ould Hamaha , a former AQIM fighter. According to U.S. Army General Carter Ham , Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb,

1904-522: The aim of taking control of the town and occupying the two military bases there. Further towns were seized and re-seized over the course of February and March. At the same time, following clashes in the north, Tuareg civilians were said to have left Bamako for fear of reprisals. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross , 3,500 people had fled across the border to Mauritania and

1960-510: The aims of the Islamist groups, who wanted a united Mali under sharia law. Once the Malian government's forces had been evicted from the region, the two ideological camps began to turn against each other. On 26 May, the MNLA and Ansar Dine announced a pact in which they would merge to form an Islamist state. However, some later reports indicated the MNLA had decided to withdraw from the pact, distancing itself from Ansar Dine. On 26 June 2012,

2016-513: The city, as the supply lines were long compared to the closer kingdoms vying for dominance of the region. Furthermore, the Moroccans did not establish a proper means of which to govern Timbuktu, and their other holdings along the Niger bend. Ultimately, however, it was the rise of sea trade along the West Africa coast that doomed the overland routes that connected North Africa to sub-Saharan Africa . The city lost its economic base and its fine university

2072-569: The declaration of independence, the Arab-dominated National Liberation Front of Azawad (FLNA) were formed to defend Timbuktu from alleged Tuareg domination. Although the MNLA collaborated with and fought alongside various Islamist groups against the Malian government in the beginning of the conflict, there were deep ideological differences between them. The goal of the MNLA, to establish a secular and independent state of "Azawad" out of northern Mali, contrasted sharply with

2128-639: The failure of the 2007–2009 rebellion in northern Niger and Mali, some Tuareg fighters left for Libya where they were integrated into the Libyan Army . At the end of 2011, following the defeat of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and the death of Muammar Gaddafi , several Tuareg from the Libyan Army and the rebel National Transitional Council (NTC) returned to northern Mali. Many fighters returned for either financial reasons, such as losing their savings, or due to alleged racism of NTC fighters and militias. The MNLA

2184-754: The fall of Timbuktu they declared that "Azawad" would be governed alongside Ansar Dine. On 26 May, the MNLA and Ansar Dine announced a pact in which they would merge to form an Islamist state, named the Islamic Republic of Azawad. MNLA launched its armed campaign in January 2012 with the goal of freeing three regions of Mali from the central government's control and seeking the complete independence of "Azawad". In January, its fighters attacked Andéramboukane , Ménaka , Tessalit , Niafunke , and Aguelhoc . They were reported to be in control of parts of northern Mali, including Menaka, on 1 February. During that time

2240-642: The largely ungoverned desert areas around where the Tuareg live. This has led to concern that much of the heavy weaponry remains unaccounted for. Though some analyses have denied the movement's connections to either Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) or Muammar Gaddafi and the Libyan Civil War , the rebellion was still read as being fueled by weapons from Libya, as well as leftovers from previous rebellions in "Azawad" and even from Mali's army which were taken by defecting Arab and Tuareg personnel. The group

2296-520: The liberation of that country, volunteers from the various ethnicities of northern Mali (Tuareg, Songhai, Peul and Moor) and both soldiers and officers who have deserted from the Malian army. The MNLA is said to have been formed after a fusion of the Northern Mali Tuareg Movement and other related groups. An alleged influx of arms, originally intended for rebels in Libya, led to a huge cache in

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2352-448: The movement was said to have opened a fifth front in the town of Lere . At the end of January, they claimed to have shot down a Malian Air Force Mig-21 with surface-to-air missiles acquired from NATO arms drops over Libya. The military of Mali have also used helicopter gunships to target the group. On 4 February 2012, the movement's fighters attacked government forces in Kidal with

2408-456: The region and said that it would rule the region with Ansar Dine in opposition to the administration in Bamako. On 6 April, in an interview with France 24 , an MNLA spokesman declared the independence of "Azawad" as an independent state and said the movement would act as a provisional administration until the establishment of a Government. Mali is an anarchic state. Therefore we have gathered

2464-509: The region. The following day, Ansar Dine announced that it was in control of all the cities of northern Mali. Initially the MNLA retained control of the city of Ménaka , with hundreds of people taking refuge in the city from the Islamists, and the city of Tinzawatène near the Algerian border. In the same month, a splinter group broke off from the MNLA, calling itself the Front for the Liberation of

2520-732: The release of hostages. Omar Ould Hamaha said: The source of our financing is the Western countries. They are paying for jihad . In December 2012, one of AQIM's top commanders , Mokhtar Belmokhtar , split off from AQIM and took his fighters with him, executing the In Amenas hostage crisis in Algeria weeks later, just after France launched Operation Serval in Mali. Belmokhtar later claimed he acted on behalf of Al Qaeda. In December 2015, Belmokhtar's splinter group , Al-Mourabitoun rejoined AQIM, according to audio statements released by both groups. A top commander of AQIM, Abdelhamid Abou Zeid ,

2576-455: The tension erupted into combat in Gao between the MNLA and the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), with both sides firing heavy weapons. MNLA Secretary-General Bilal ag Acherif was wounded in the battle. The MNLA were soon driven from the city, and from Kidal and Timbuktu shortly after. However, the MNLA stated that it continued to maintain forces, and control some rural areas, in

2632-436: The trans-Sahara trading economy and people in the city. In early 2012, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad and other militant groups opposed to the government of Mali swept through the region, entering Timbuktu without a fight after making a deal with local Arab militias. On 6 April 2012, the region was declared independent from Mali as part of the new country of Azawad . However, Mali refused to acknowledge

2688-626: The video, calling for Islamic sharia law to be established in Tunisia . Al Qaeda has begun recruiting anti-government demonstrators, some of whom have previously fought against American forces in Iraq and Israeli forces in Gaza . AQIM endorsed efforts in Libya to topple the regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi , though it remains unclear how many fighters in Libya are loyal to al-Qaeda, or members of it. Gaddafi seized on

2744-410: The visit of Malian Prime Minister Oumar Tatam Ly to MNLA-controlled Kidal, one of the MNLA founders, Attaye Ag Mohamed, said: "The political and military wings of the Azawad declare the lifting of the ceasefire with the central government in Bamako. All our military positions are on alert." One of the founding leaders was said to be Moussa Ag Acharatoumane . One of the officers he had met in Libya

2800-478: The weapons storages there. The ICRC added that there were 30,000 internally displaced persons , while the UN said that over 20,000 people have fled to Burkina Faso , Algeria and Mauritania . The United Nations also warned of food shortages as a result of the fighting. The UN refugee agency estimated 22,000 people had been displaced in February. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) planned to send

2856-517: The word of God, or by helping them." Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb operates a media outlet known as Al-Andalus, which regularly releases propaganda videos showing AQIM operations, hostages, and statements from members. According to London-based risk analysis firm Stirling Assynt , AQIM issued a call for vengeance against Beijing for mistreatment of its Muslim minority following the July 2009 Ürümqi riots . AQIM voiced support for demonstrations against

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2912-491: Was Colonel Ag Mohamed Najem , who is said by the movement to be the head of its military wing. He is of Malian origin but resigned from the Libyan Army shortly after the uprising to join the Tuareg rebellion in Mali. Colonel Dilal Ag Alsherif is another military leader of the movement. There are said to be about 40 officers in the MNLA movement. There are also deserters from the Malian Army, including officers. Colonel Nagim

2968-404: Was founded in October 2011; though it is sometimes considered to have been founded more than a year earlier in relation to other such groups. The MNLA claim to be a movement for the liberation of all the peoples of "Azawad" ( Songhai , Arab , Fula and Tuareg ). There were also rumors that the group has been supported by battle-hardened Tuaregs from Niger . On the subject of its composition,

3024-500: Was little evidence that the three groups were targeting U.S. areas, as each was primarily interested in establishing fundamentalist administrations in their respective regions. In a 2013 Al Jazeera interview in Timbuktu , AQIM commander Talha claimed that his movement went to Niger, Algeria, Burkina Faso and Nigeria, to organize cells of AQIM. He explained their strategy: "There are many people who have nothing, and you can reach them by

3080-411: Was not enough to save Timbuktu from decline. Cut off from major trade routes, the city retained an aura of spectacular treasure. When French explorers rediscovered the city in 1815, they were disappointed to find a sand-blown city of low mud buildings. The region was marginalized under French colonial control, which ended in 1960. The French opened up shorter trade routes to the Atlantic, cutting into

3136-979: Was reported killed by French and Chadian forces in northern Mali on 25 February 2013. This was confirmed by AQIM in June 2013. The United States National Counterterrorism Center stated that AQIM had a reputation for holding cultural and racial insensitivities towards Sub-Saharan Africans. The NCTC maintained that some recruits "claimed that AQIM was clearly racist against some black members from West Africa because they were only sent against lower-level targets." The bulletin goes on to say that former AQIM commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar in August 2009 stated, "he wanted to attract black African recruits because they would agree more readily than Arabs to becoming suicide bombers and because poor economic and social conditions made them ripe for recruitment." By 2016, AQIM had reportedly recruited large numbers of young sub-Saharan Africans, with attacks like

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