National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad
The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad or the Azawad National Liberation Movement (Tamasheq: ⵜⴰⵏⴾⵔⴰ ⵏ ⵜⵓⵎⴰⵙⵜ ⴹ ⴰⵙⵍⴰⵍⵓ ⵏ ⴰⵣⴰⵓⴰⴷ, romanized: Tankra n Tumast ḍ Aslalu n Azawad; Arabic: الحركة الوطنية لتحرير أزواد, romanized: al-Ḥarakat al-Waṭaniyat Litaḥrīr ʾĀzawād; French: Mouvement national de libération de l'Azawad, MNLA), formerly the National Movement of Azawad (French: Mouvement national de l'Azawad, MNA), is a political and military organization based in Azawad in northern Mali.
| 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 | |
| Leaders | Bilal Ag Acherif (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 operation | October 2011 – present |
| Headquarters | Kidal (until 2023) |
| Active regions | Azawad/northern Mali |
| Ideology | Nationalism Autonomy Berberism |
| Size | 9,000–10,000 (MNLA sources) |
| Part of | State of Azawad (2012–2013) 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) |
| Opponents | Mali Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa Ansar Dine (since June 2012) |
| Battles and wars | 2012–present Northern Mali conflict
|
| Website | www.mnlamov.net |
The movement is mostly made up of ethnic Tuareg, some of whom are believed to have fought in the Libyan army during the 2011 Libyan Civil War (though other Tuareg MNLA fighters were on the side of the National Transitional Council and returned to Mali after that war). The movement was founded in October 2011 and had 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. 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.