(CNN) -- Separatist rebels who recently captured large areas of Mali's vast Sahara region in the north of the country have declared independence for a region they call Azawad. The declaration was made in a statement posted online by the Secretary General of the Azawad National Liberation Movement.The claim of independence follows "more than 50 years of corruption and poor governance with the complicity of the army and the politicians, putting people's lives at risk in Azawad," the MNLA said.
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Mali moved a step closer to being broken in two on Sunday when al-Qaeda-linked Islamists and Tuareg rebels declared the nation's north an independent country to be ruled according to sharia law. The announcement, from Ansar Dine and... Read Post
(Reuters) - Malian rebels who declared an independent Islamic state in the country's north said on Sunday they would impose sharia but not in a strict form. The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), which has fought... Read Post
(CNN) -- Separatist rebels who captured northern areas of Mali called a cease-fire starting Thursday, saying they had captured key territory and achieved their military mission. The Azawad National Liberation Movement said the rebel... Read Post