National Liberation Front of Azawad
| Arab Movement of Azawad | |
|---|---|
|
الحركة العربية الأزوادية Mouvement arabe de l’Azawad Participant in 2012 Tuareg rebellion |
|
| Active | Early 2012 – present |
| Ideology | Secular Arab nationalism Autonomy of Azawad |
| Leaders | Ahmad Ould Sidi Muhammad (General Secretary) Hussein Ould Ghulam (Chief of Staff) |
| Area of operations | Azawad/northern Mali |
| Strength | 500 (claimed) |
| Part of |
 Azawad
|
| Opponents |
Ansar Dine National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad  France
|
| Battles and wars | |
2012–present Northern Mali conflict
The Arab Movement of Azawad (Arabic: الحركة العربية الأزوادية, French: Mouvement arabe de l’Azawad; MAA) is an Arab military organization active in Azawad/northern Mali. Initially known as the National Liberation Front of Azawad (French: Front de libération nationale de l'Azawad; FLNA), it was formed in early 2012, during the 2012 Tuareg rebellion. The MAA claims to be a secular, non-terrorist organization, whose main objective is to defend the interests of the Arab peoples of northern Mali. It is reportedly willing to "work with France against terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime" in the region. The group calls for granting substantial autonomy to northern Mali.
The MAA was formed as the National Liberation Front of Azawad (FLNA) in early 2012. It was largely composed of Arab militia fighters who had organized to defend Timbuktu during the advance by the forces of the Tuareg National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and the Islamist Ansar Dine against the city. The new group claimed to oppose both the independence of Azawad from Mali and the imposition of sharia law in the region. After Timbuktu fell to the rebels on April 1, 2012, the FLNA briefly occupied the city in turn on April 27, but departed after Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, a leading member of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), issued a demand for them to leave.
The FLNA initially had difficulty securing support among the Arab Berabiche community in northern Mali; its leaders were attacked for being involved in the drug smuggling trade in northern Mali, and for being partially responsible for the escalation of violence in the region. They were also accused of helping AQIM in their takeover of Timbuktu. The FLNA nevertheless continued its operations in northern Mali, acting independently of both the MNLA and the Islamists, and subsequently changed its name to the Arab Movement of Azawad (MAA).
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