Vive le Azawad libre

[James Dahl]

They've captured Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu and all the smaller cities and towns in "Azawad", so it's a de-facto reality now.

[Advo]

I am really happy for them, they are a group of people that forever have been discriminated against. Who knew the fall of gadhafi would prove to be a blessing in disguise for them.

[eyes-only]

they're a bunch of terrorists

[SahanGalbeed]

[Shirib]

I am really happy for them, they are a group of people that forever have been discriminated against. Who knew the fall of gadhafi would prove to be a blessing in disguise for them.

not connecting the dots?

[abdikarim86]

More power to them

[union]

Stop promoting and celebrating war in Africa

[SahanGalbeed]

Now , every tuareg from Algeria to Lybia to the Air { Nig.er has become a censored word , wtf?} should go there and settle in Azawad . Fighters can only do so much , what they need now is a civilian presence , people who say , this is our land and we're not leaving it !!!!
Vive l' Azawad libre pour tous !

And to the arabs { SA, Qatar, UAE}I would say , better not forget these people as you have already done so in the past !

[Jaidi]

What do the Arabs have to do with anything? They dont care about them and the Touraegs don't want much for them either, except recognition. Touaregs are discriminated in Libya and Algeria as well. They're like the African equivalent of Kurds.

[Jaidi]

The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and Islamist Ansar Dine are the two major Tuareg groups involved in the takeover of the north of Mali.

Other small groups also say they have taken part in the fighting.

Despite having very different aims, MNLA and Ansar Dine have joined forces to fight together from time to time, including in the capture of Timbuktu - but there are serious tensions between them, Martin Vogl says.

The MNLA grouping wants independence for the Tuareg's northern homeland, which it calls Azawad.

A statement released by the MNLA said that now they are in control of the north they will stop fighting and begin their "mission of defending and securing the territory of the Azawad, for the happiness of its people".

Two important figures in the MNLA are the general secretary Bila Ag Cherif and Mohamed Ag Najim, the head of the movement's military wing.

In the ranks of the MNLA are Malian Tuareg who, while in exile in Libya, fought alongside Col Gaddafi's forces as he tried to cling to power in Libya.

Once he was toppled, they returned to Mali - well-trained and with plenty of heavy weaponry.

The other major Tuareg group is the Islamist Ansar Dine led by a renowned former Tuareg rebel leader, Iyad Ag Ghali.

The group has ties to Al-Qaeda's north Africa branch, known as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Ansar Dine says it has not been fighting for independence - it wants to remain part of Mali but wants to introduce Sharia across the whole country, which is largely Muslim.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17582909
Looks like there is tension between their aims and one group doesn't want to separate.