The
Northern Mali Conflict,
Mali Civil War, or
Mali War refers to armed conflicts that started from January 2012 between the northern and southern parts of
Mali in Africa. On 16 January 2012, several insurgent groups began
fighting a campaign against the
Malian government for independence or greater autonomy for northern
Mali, an area known as
Azawad. The
National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), an organization fighting to make Azawad an independent homeland for the
Tuareg people, had taken control of the region by April 2012.