Azawad
State of Azawad
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2012–2013 | |||||||||
Unrecognized state | |||||||||
Capital | Timbuktu (proclaimed) Gao (provisional) | ||||||||
Largest city | Gao | ||||||||
Common languages | French · Fula · Hassaniya Arabic · Songhay · Tamashek | ||||||||
Government | Provisional government | ||||||||
President | |||||||||
• 2012 | Bilal Ag Acherif | ||||||||
Vice President | |||||||||
• 2012 | Mahamadou Djeri Maïga | ||||||||
Battles of Gao and Timbuktu | 26–28 June 2013 | ||||||||
|
Azawad, or Azawagh (
Azawad, as claimed by the MNLA, comprised the Malian regions of Timbuktu, Kidal, Gao, as well as a part of Mopti Region,[2] encompassing about 60 percent of Mali's total land area. Azawad borders Burkina Faso to the south, Mauritania to the west and northwest, Algeria to the north and northeast, and Niger to the east and southeast, with undisputed Mali to its southwest. It straddles a portion of the Sahara and the Sahelian zone. Gao is its largest city and served as the temporary capital,[3] while Timbuktu is the second-largest city, and was intended to be the capital by the independence forces.[4]
On 6 April 2012, in a statement posted to its website, the MNLA declared "irrevocably" the independence of Azawad from Mali. In Gao on the same day,
Tuareg military leader Moussa Ag Acharatoumane, affiliated with the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (French: Movement pour le Salut de l'Azawad), was interviewed by the French language news outlet TV5Monde, during its "Le journal Afrique" or "African Journal" segment, about hostile events that occurred between the MNLA and other separatist groups against jihadi extremists in 2012.[10][11] He claimed that jihadi groups, and the Ansar Dine in particular, had been in the region of Azawad for 10 years before the circumstances which led to the Azawadi declaration of independence. Locals had heard of their extremist views in respect to sharia then subsequently distanced themselves from the jihadis.
Ag Acharatoumane further asserted that the death of Muammar Gaddafi destabilised the political landscape for Sahelians from Mali and Niger to such a degree that it was described as "disastrous." The Tuareg rebels allegedly went into a "survival mode" for five years after his death which were fraught with socio-political and socioeconomic crises. Disorganised and unaware of moderate militias, some joined jihadi groups but left when acquainted with better options; they aimed to join movements that were "good" in nature and organised for humanitarian causes for the betterment of Azawad. When asked about the speculated alliance between the MNLA and the Ansar Dine, Ag Acharatoumane said he "personally did not know of the alliance" and referred back to the distance Azawadi locals kept from them.[12][13]
On 14 February 2013, the MNLA renounced its claim of independence for Azawad and asked the Malian government to start negotiations on its future status.[14] The MNLA ended the ceasefire in September of the same year after government forces reportedly opened fire on unarmed protesters.[15][16]
Name
According to the Scottish explorer and scientist
On 6 April 2012, in a statement posted to its website, the MNLA declared the independence of Azawad from Mali. In this Azawad Declaration of Independence, the name Independent State of Azawad was used
History
Gao, Mali and Songhay empires
The Gao Empire owes its name to the town of Gao. In the ninth century AD, it was considered to be the most powerful West African kingdom.
In the early 14th century, the southern part of the region came under the control of the
With the power of the
Askia Mohammad I created a
Moroccan expedition
Morocco attacked the region in 1591. The
The sacking of Gao marked the effective end of the Songhai as a regional power[33][34] and its economic and intellectual decline.[35] The increasing trans-Atlantic trade, which transported African slaves, including leaders and scholars of Timbuktu, marginalised Gao and Timbuktu's roles as trade and scholarly centers.[36] The Moroccan expedition resulted in the formation of the Pashalik of Timbuktu. While initially controlling the Morocco – Timbuktu trade routes, Morocco soon cut its ties with the Arma. Subsequent pashas lost their grip on Timbuktu. By 1630, the colony was independent and the leadership had become indigenised through intermarriage and local alliances. Songhay never regained control and smaller taifa kingdoms were created.[37]
The
The
Under French rule
History of Azawad |
---|
After European powers formalized the
Under Malian rule
French Sudan became the autonomous state of Mali within the
In the early twenty-first century, the region became notorious for banditry and drug smuggling.[44] The area has been reported to contain great potential mineral wealth, including petroleum and uranium.[45]
Independence War
On 17 January 2012, the MNLA announced the start of an
Unilateral declaration of independence
The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) declared Northern Mali an independent state that they named Azawad on 6 April 2012 and pledged to draft a constitution establishing it as a democracy. Their statement acknowledged the United Nations charter and said the new state would uphold its principles.[6][52]
In an interview with France 24, an MNLA spokesman declared the independence of Azawad:
Mali is an anarchic state. Therefore, we have gathered 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.
— Moussa Ag Assarid, MLNA spokesman, 6 April 2012[53]
In the same interview, Assarid promised that they would respect the colonial frontiers that separate the region from its neighbours; he insisted that Azawad's declaration of independence had international legality.[53]
No foreign entity recognised Azawad. The MNLA's declaration was immediately rejected by the African Union, who declared it "null and no value whatsoever". The French Foreign Ministry said it would not recognise the unilateral partition of Mali, but it called for negotiations between the two entities to address "the demands of the northern Tuareg population [which] are old and for too long had not received adequate and necessary responses". The United States also rejected the declaration of independence.[54]
The MNLA was estimated to have up to 3,000 soldiers.
On 26 May, the MNLA and its former co-belligerent Ansar Dine announced a pact to merge to form an
In December 2012, the MNLA agreed on Mali's national unity and territorial integrity in talks with both the central government and Ansar Dine.[62]
Northern Mali conflict
In January 2013, a minor insurgency began when Islamist fundamentalist groups attempted to take control of all of Mali. France and Chad sent troops in support of the Malian army. The whole Northern region was captured within a month prior to the Islamists offensive against the South. The rebels' main presence centered around their headquarters in Kidal. Islamists began slowly regrouping in the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains until the French and African coalition launched an offensive to eliminate the Islamist leadership and recover foreign hostages being held by them. Tuareg nomadic groups such as the MNLA, an Azawadi separatist group, helped retake several main towns in the North, but stayed neutral in fighting between the Islamists and the Malian army. The MNLA co-operated with the French troops, providing guides and logistical services and renting space in their military bases. However, no Malian army presence was allowed by MNLA authorities, due to accusations of Malian crimes against the Tuareg people. Despite this, the Islamists targeted MNLA checkpoints and other military installations with suicide bombers in retaliation. In-fighting also occurred when Chadian intervention forces were accused of firing upon Tuareg civilians.
Peace deal
A peace deal was reached in June 2013 between the MNLA and the Malian government. It gave the military lease over Tuareg rebel-held land and provided Tuareg with greater autonomy which was requested after the MNLA revoked their Independence claim. This allowed the northern part of the country to participate in the Malian presidential elections the same month. The ceasefire didn't last long before Malian troops clashed with rebels in skirmishes.
Continued insurgency
In February 2014, a massacre of a Malian general's family who were ethnic Tuareg led to an ethnic conflict between Fulani Islamists and Tuareg MNLA separatists. A massacre deliberately targeting Tuareg majority civilians was carried out by Islamists killing over 30 unarmed men.
2017
There was a referendum scheduled for 2017 on gaining autonomy and renaming the northern regions into "Azawad".[63] However, Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita shelved the plans for the referendum on constitutional reforms that were met with opposition and ignited regular street protests.[64]
Geography
The local climate is desert or semi-desert. Reuters wrote of the terrain: "Much of the land is the Sahara desert at its most inhospitable: rock, sand dunes and dust scored by shifting tracks."[65] Some definitions of Azawad also include parts of northern Niger and southern Algeria, adjacent areas to the south and the north[66] though in its declaration of independence, the MNLA did not advance territorial claims on those areas.[19]
Traditionally, Azawad has referred to the
About 6500 BC, Azawad was a 90,000-square kilometres
Politics
The MNLA in its declaration of independence announced the first political institutions of the state of Azawad. It included:[70]
- An executive committee, directed by Mahmoud Ag Aghaly.
- A revolutionary council, directed by Abdelkrim Ag Tahar.
- A consultative council, directed by Mahamed Ag Tahadou.
- The general staff of the Liberation Army, directed by Mohamed Ag Najem.
Although the MNLA claimed responsibility for managing the country "until the appointment of a national authority" in their
The military wing of Ansar Dine rejected the MNLA's declaration of independence hours after it was issued.[72] Ansar Dine vowed to establish Islamic sharia law over all of Mali.[73] At a conference, the Azawadis voiced their disapproval of radical Islamic groups, and asked all foreign fighters to disarm and leave the country.[74]
According to a Chatham House Africa expert, Mali was not to be considered "definitively partitioned". The peoples who constitute a major share of the population of northern Mali, such as Songhai and Fulani, considered themselves to be Malian and had no interest in a separate Tuareg-dominated state.[75] On the day of the declaration of independence, about 200 Malian northerners staged a rally in Bamako, declaring their rejection of the partition and their willingness to fight to drive out the rebels.[76][77] A day later, 2,000 protesters joined a new rally against separatism.[78]
According to Ramtane Lamamra, the African Union's peace and security commissioner, the African Union has discussed sending a military force to reunify Mali. He said that negotiations with terrorists had been ruled out, but negotiations with other armed factions were still open.[79]
Administrative divisions
Azawad, as proclaimed by the MNLA, includes the
Demographics
Northern Mali has a population density of 1.5 people per square kilometre.[80] The Malian regions claimed by Azawad are listed hereafter (apart from the portion of Mopti Region claimed and occupied by the MNLA). The population figures are from the 2009 census of Mali, taken before Azawadi independence was proclaimed.[81] Since the start of the Tuareg rebellion in January 2012, an estimated 250,000 former inhabitants have fled the territory.[82]
Region name | Area (km2) | Population |
---|---|---|
Gao | 170,572 | 544,120 |
Kidal | 151,430 | 67,638 |
Timbuktu | 497,926 | 681,691 |
Ethnic groups
The area was traditionally inhabited by the settled Songhay, and the nomadic Tuareg, Arabs, and Fulas (Fula: Fulɓe; French: Peul).[83] The ethnic composition of the regions in 1950 (at that time, Kidal Region was a part of Gao Region) and in 2009 is shown in the adjacent diagrams.
Languages
The languages of Northern Mali include
French, though not spoken natively, is widely used as a lingua franca, as well as negotiations with the government of Mali and foreign affairs.Religion
Most are
Ansar Dine follows the
Most of the 300 Christians who formerly lived in Timbuktu have fled to the South since the rebels captured the town on 2 April 2012.[88]
Humanitarian situation
The people living in the central and northern Sahelian and Sahelo-Saharan areas of Mali are the country's poorest, according to an International Fund for Agricultural Development report. Most are pastoralists and farmers practicing subsistence agriculture on dry land with poor and increasingly degraded soils.[89] The northern part of Mali suffers from a critical shortage of food and lack of health care. Starvation has prompted about 200,000 inhabitants to leave the region.[90]
Refugees in the 92,000-person refugee camp at
See also
- Arab Islamic Front of Azawad
- Ansar Dine
- Arab Movement of Azawad
- Azawadi declaration of independence
- Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin
- Niger Movement for Justice
- Northern Mali conflict
- Popular Movement for the Liberation of Azawad
- Tuareg rebellion (1962–1964)
- Tuareg rebellion (1990–1995)
- Tuareg rebellion (2007–2009)
- Tuareg rebellion (2012)
- Biafra
- State of Katanga
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External links
Media related to Azawad at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Orphans of the Sahara, a three-part documentary series about the Tuareg people of the Sahara desert.