MNLA Declares Independence of Azawad — Rejected Internationally

The MNLA formally declares independence of the State of Azawad, covering the vast northern regions of Kidal, Gao, and Timbuktu. No state recognizes the declaration; the AU, ECOWAS, and UN immediately reject it. The MNLA's secular nationalist project quickly unravels as Islamist allies — Ansar Dine and MUJAO — turn against them in the coming months.