Are Mali’s Tuareg-led FLA fighters terrorists or separatists?

The Coordination of Azawad Movements, an alliance of predominantly Tuareg armed groups formed in 2014 following the unilateral declaration of independence of Azawad in 2012. © AP

A Tuareg-led separatist group in Mali has insists it is not a “terrorist” organisation despite carrying out coordinated attacks with al-Qaeda-linked fighters that hit military targets and killed the country’s defence minister last month. The group, known as the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), was formed in December 2024 and is seeking independence for northern Mali.

The FLA issued a statement on Friday rejecting the term “terrorist”, which has been used by Mali’s transitional authorities and by several international actors in response to the coordinated attacks on 25 April.