Azawad Liberation Front

The Azawad Liberation Front (in Tuareg: ⵜⴰⴶⴰⵉⵜ ⵢⵏ ⵢⵙⵢⵍⵢⵍⵓ ⴰⵣⴰⵓⴰⴷ; in Arabic: جبهة تحرير أزواد); in French: Front de libération de l'Azawad) or FLA is a political and military organization in northern Mali founded on November 30, 2024. The organization was formed after the dissolution of the Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad, and included the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), the High Council for the Unity of Azawad (HCUA), and part of the Arab Movement of Azawad (MAA) and the Imghad Tuareg Self-Defense Group and Allies (GATIA). The organization was founded based on its demands for the independence or autonomy of Azawad.

Azawad Liberation Front
ⵜⴰⴶⴰⵉⵜ ⵢⵏ ⵢⵙⵢⵍⵢⵍⵓ ⴰⵣⴰⵓⴰⴷ جبهة تحرير أزواد Front de libération de l'Azawad
Leaders	Bilal Ag Acherif Alghabass Ag Intalla Ibrahim Ould Handa Hanoune Ould Ali Fahad Ag Almahmoud (killed in 2024) Habala Ag Hamzata Mohamed Ag Najem Achafghi Ag Bohada
Dates of operation	November 30, 2024 – present
Merger of	National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) High Council for the Unity of Azawad (HCUA) Part of the Arab Movement of Azawad (MAA) Imghad Tuareg Self-Defense Group and Allies (GATIA)
Motives	Independence or autonomy of Azawad
Active regions	Northern Mali (former State of Azawad)
Ideology	Azawad nationalism
Allies	Council of Resistance for the Republic Ukraine Tuareg militias of Ghat (expressed intent to support)
Opponents	Mali Wagner Group Africa Corps (Russia) Niger
Battles and wars	Mali War Azawad conflict
Flag

History

The Azawad Liberation Front's formation was announced in a press release, following a meeting held between 26 and 30 November by approximately 180 officials and members of the Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad (CSP-DPA). The group declared its objective to be "the total liberation of Azawad and the formation of the Azawad Authority".^[1] It adopted a new flag and called for the "self-determination" of Azawad.^[1][2]

The organization was formed from the merger of four movements of the CSP into a single entity — the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), the High Council for the Unity of Azawad (HCUA), a part of the Arab Movement of Azawad (MAA) and the Imghad Tuareg Self-Defense Group and Allies (GATIA).^[3][4]

The day after the creation of the FLA, seven to eight of its leaders were killed in a Bayraktar TB2 drone strike near Tinzaouaten, including Fahad Ag Almahmoud, head of the rebel branch of GATIA, and Choguibe Ag Attaher, an amenukal of the Tuareg tribe of Idnanes.^[3][4][5][6]