A state of instability has returned to northern Mali with renewed confrontations between the Malian army and some jihadist and Tariq armed movements, in the context of a gradual collapse of the course of the 2015 Algiers Agreement and the escalation of military operations since 2023. This escalation comes after years of relative calm that followed the agreement, before its terms practically retreated with the new military authorities abandoning their commitments in 2024. This brought the file of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad and the rest of the armed factions back to the forefront of the scene. Security in the Sahel region. What is the Azawad Movement?

Published on: 04/27/2026 - 16:35 Last updated: 04/29/2026 - 14:02

Unrest returned to the northern Mali region after fighters from the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, along with local armed groups and parties linked to jihadist organizations in some conflict areas, took control of the city of Kidal after being able to defeat the Malian government forces supported by Russian forces.

According to Serge Daniel, France 24's correspondent in the Sahel region, Russian mercenaries asked the fighters of the Movement for the Liberation of Azawad to open a safe corridor for them to leave Kidal and its surrounding areas, and this is what actually happened. He pointed out that all the fighters supported by Moscow "left the area that fell under the hands of the 'Azawad' Tuareg fighters." What is this movement, when was it founded, what are its goals, and who supports it?

• What is the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad?

The Movement of Azawad (National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad) was founded in October 2011 as a result of the merger of two movements: the National Movement of Azawad and the Tariqa Movement of Northern Mali. The two movements decided to establish a new Tuareg political organization aimed at unifying the demands of all Tuareg in the Azawad region.

The area of ​​the Azawad region is about one million square kilometers. It is bordered by Algeria to the north and northeast, Mauritania to the west, Niger to the east, and Mali and Burkina Faso to the south.

The Tuareg constitute an independent people. He belongs to the nomadic Berbers. It depends mainly on livestock breeding and trade in the heart of the Sahara Desert. These people share a common language known as “Tamasheq”, which is a dialect descended from the Amazigh language.

But despite this cultural and linguistic unity and sometimes goals, the Tuareg in general live in a kind of geographical dispersion. They are distributed among six countries: Niger, Algeria, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, and Burkina Faso. Their number is estimated at about 1.5 to 2 million people. The majority live in Mali and Niger. But they move from one country to another across the desert in search of less difficult climatic conditions and water.

• What are its goals?

The Tuareg of Azawad seek to establish “an independent state within their geographical borders in northern Mali, or at least obtain expanded autonomy, that is, over an area that currently includes many cities, including Timbuktu, Kidal, Gao and Tsalit.

This demand took on an armed character after the collapse of the Malian state in the north in 2012, when the movement declared control over large areas before the actual control collapsed due to the entry of other armed groups and the control of parts of the region by jihadist organizations.

Later, the Algiers Peace Agreement was signed in 2015 between the Malian government and several armed movements from the north, under international and regional supervision, and stipulated several provisions, including respect for national unity, renunciation of violence, representation of all components of the Malian people in power, respect for human rights, and the parties’ commitment to combating terrorism...

Read also: Mali: An uneasy calm in Bamako and Kati after unprecedented attacks by armed groups

In January 2024, the new Malian government announced its gradual withdrawal or suspension of implementation of its obligations in this agreement, accusing regional parties of interfering in its internal affairs and of influencing some armed groups in the Sahel region.

But with the decline of this political framework, which had formed a basis for calm for years, tension and violence returned to the region, and Tuareg armed movements, including the Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, returned to military activity in some areas, which led to the return of instability.

• What is the ideology of the Movement of Azawad?

According to a study conducted by the Brussels-based Research and Information Group on Peace, which specializes in following the development of political and security crises in the world, the ideology of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad has a secular orientation. This armed organization, which includes thousands of fighters in northern Mali, is keen to stay away from extremist movements, and its goal is to build a political entity with a secular, democratic character.

However, the Malian government and other governments in the Sahel region were accused of dealing or collaborating in the field in previous periods with terrorist groups such as:

But the Azawad Movement categorically denies any direct or organizational relationship with these jihadist movements, and considers them to be baseless political accusations. It has also repeatedly stated that the Tariqi community is a tribal community characterized by a traditional Sufi religious character, which makes its religious practice far from extremist Salafist thought, according to the movement.

Algeria is often accused of providing support for the Azawad Movement, but the Algerian government has repeatedly denied these allegations, stressing that its only goal through its regional mediations is to resolve disputes between the Malian parties through political means, away from violence.

• What are the most prominent Tuareg rebellion operations in northern Mali since this country’s independence in 1960?

The Tuareg struggled to build an independent state in northern Mali and not submit to the Malian Republic after its independence in 1960. But they were unable to achieve their dream. Since that date, tensions between the two parties (the Tuareg and the Malian government) have not stopped and they have not reached a final and stable settlement.

Since its independence, Mali has witnessed several Tuareg rebellions, reflecting repeated demands for political recognition, development and autonomy in the north of the country, most notably the 1963 rebellion in the city of Kidal in protest against the marginalization of the north and the policies of the central state. This rebellion was strongly suppressed by the Malian army.

Read also: Mali: The Tuareg announce the withdrawal of Russian soldiers from Kidal, and a government source confirms the killing of the Defense Minister near Bamako

The second rebellion took place in 1990, which led to the signing of subsequent peace agreements between the Malian government and the Tuareg movements, including regionally sponsored agreements in Algeria, which included promises of development and decentralization in exchange for a cessation of fighting.

These agreements lasted for intermittent periods despite the skirmishes that occurred from time to time, but everything collapsed in 2012 after the Azawad Movement declared its control over northern Mali after a massive armed attack that enabled it to control major cities such as Timbuktu, Kidal and Gao.

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The conflict continued for several years and led to the death of many and the displacement of tens of thousands of Malian residents, which made Algeria intervene again and put pressure on the parties, as the 2015 Algiers Agreement was signed, relatively ending years of violence, despite its fragility.

But in 2024, in light of the political transformations and military coups that Mali witnessed, the Malian authorities announced a reconsideration of their obligations within the agreement, which returned the region to a spiral of tension and violence until today.

• Is there a relationship between Algeria and the “Azawad Movement”? What is its nature?

The name of Algeria has emerged since the beginning of the conflict between successive Malian governments and the Azawad Movement since independence in 1960.

There are those who believe that Algeria does not support the movement and all it is doing is defending its strategic interests by establishing security on its borders with Mali to prevent the spread of chaos and weapons across the borders.

There are also those who accuse Algeria of helping previous Malian governments or playing a political role in curbing any Azawadi separatist project on its borders. But successive Algerian governments have repeatedly stressed that they seek only to prevent violence between Malian parties, and that they are always pushing towards a comprehensive, long-term political solution that allows for the launch of development policies that benefit everyone.

However, the recent military coup that took place in 2021, led by Asmi Goita, which removed elected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, undermined hopes for a political settlement and plunged the region into an unknown future, while the spread of armed groups in the Sahel region further complicated the situation.

France 24

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