Mali WarW
Mali War

The Mali War is an ongoing armed conflict that started in 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, which they called Azawad. The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), an organization fighting to make this area of Mali an independent homeland for the Tuareg people, had taken control of the region by April 2012.

Timeline of the Mali WarW
Timeline of the Mali War

The following is a timeline of major events during the Northern Mali conflict.

2012 Malian coup d'étatW
2012 Malian coup d'état

The 2012 Malian coup d'état began on 21 March that year, when mutinying Malian soldiers, displeased with the management of the Tuareg rebellion, attacked several locations in the capital Bamako, including the presidential palace, state television, and military barracks. The soldiers, who said they had formed the National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State, declared the following day that they had overthrown the government of Amadou Toumani Touré, forcing him into hiding. The coup was followed by "unanimous" international condemnation, harsh sanctions by Mali's neighbors, and the swift loss of northern Mali to Tuareg forces, leading Reuters to describe the coup as "a spectacular own-goal". On 6 April, the junta agreed with Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) negotiators that they would step down from power in return for the end of sanctions, giving power to a transitional government led by parliament speaker Dioncounda Traoré. In the following days, both Touré and coup leader Amadou Sanogo formally resigned; however, as of 16 May, the junta was still "widely thought to have maintained overall control". On 3 December 2013, a mass grave was discovered in Diago holding the remains of 21 soldiers that went missing the year before, loyal to the ousted president.

Tuareg rebellion (2012)W
Tuareg rebellion (2012)

The Tuareg Rebellion of 2012 was an early stage of the Mali War; from January to April 2012, a war was waged against the Malian government by rebels with the goal of attaining independence for the northern region of Mali, known as Azawad. It was led by the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and was part of a series of insurgencies by traditionally nomadic Tuaregs which date back at least to 1916. The MNLA was formed by former insurgents and a significant number of heavily armed Tuaregs who fought in the Libyan Civil War.

African-led International Support Mission to MaliW
African-led International Support Mission to Mali

The African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA) is an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) organized military mission sent to support the government of ECOWAS member nation Mali against Islamist rebels in the Northern Mali conflict. The mission was authorized with UN Security Council Resolution 2085, passed on 20 December 2012, which "authorizes the deployment of an African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA) for an initial period of one year."

Battle of AguelhokW
Battle of Aguelhok

The Battle of Aguelhok occurred when rebels from the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and Islamists groups Ansar Dine and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb attacked a Malian army garrison base in the town of Aguelhok, Kidal Region of Northern Mali on 17 January 2012, as part of the larger Tuareg rebellion to seize all government bases in the region.

Ambush of TagarangabotteW
Ambush of Tagarangabotte

The Ambush of Tagarangabotte took place during the Internal conflict in Azawad. A MUJAO column en route to Menaka fell into an ambush by the MNLA.

Ansar DineW
Ansar Dine

For the Sufi-based organization, see Chérif Ousmane Madani Haïdara.

Battle of GaoW
Battle of Gao

The Battle of Gao was fought between the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and the Islamist Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), along with its ally Ansar Dine, in Gao between 26–28 June 2012. By the 28 June, Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal, the three biggest cities in the disputed secessionist region of Azawad within what is recognised as Malian territory, were under the control of Ansar Dine and its Islamist allies.

Battle of IdelimaneW
Battle of Idelimane

The Battle of Idelimane took place during the Internal Conflict in Azawad.

Battle of NiafunkéW
Battle of Niafunké

On 31 January, at approx. 6:45 A.M, the Malian military cantonment in Niafunké comes under attack by elements of the MNLA. The military camp located in the town undergoes a fierce assault by rebels. A Malian soldier is reported killed. Next military reinforcements nearby are called in for assistance but are ambushed by rebels. After several hours of a standoff the MNLA relinquishes siege of the camp. Military casualties were 4 dead, and 6 wounded. The dead included a Malian army captain. Five MNLA members were killed. Two civilian students also died during the battle by stray bullets.

Chadian intervention in northern MaliW
Chadian intervention in northern Mali

On 18 January 2013, the Republic of Chad announced its intent to deploy 2,000 troops: one infantry regiment with 1,200 soldiers and two support battalions with 800 soldiers, into Mali as part of the international campaign against Islamist insurgents. The Chadian forces were not part of the African-led International Support Mission to Mali but integrated into an existing French command structure. The same day the arrival of the Chadian army in Niamey was confirmed.

Azawadi declaration of independenceW
Azawadi declaration of independence

On 6 April 2012, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad unilaterally declared Azawad independent from the Republic of Mali in the wake of a rebellion which was preceded by a string of other Tuareg rebellions. It is called the Independent State of Azawad.

European Union Training Mission in MaliW
European Union Training Mission in Mali

EUTM Mali is a European Union multinational military training mission headquartered in Bamako, Mali.

Fall of Timbuktu (2012)W
Fall of Timbuktu (2012)

The Fall of Timbuktu took place during the war in northern Mali. This is one of the first clashes between the MNLA and Ansar Dine.

2017 Gao bombingW
2017 Gao bombing

On 18 January 2017, a suicide bomber drove a vehicle filled with explosives into a military camp near Gao, Mali, killing 77 people and injuring at least 115. The incident is the deadliest terrorist attack in Malian history.

Second Battle of GaoW
Second Battle of Gao

The Second Battle of Gao was the recapture of the city of Gao from Islamist MOJWA fighters by Malian/French forces. It took place in January 2013 within the Northern Mali Conflict.

Third Battle of GaoW
Third Battle of Gao

The Third Battle of Gao was fought in the city of Gao on 9–11 February 2013, during the Northern Mali Conflict. It was a raid on the city by rebel MOJWA forces. The raiders were defeated by Malian government forces with the support of troops from France.

Fourth Battle of GaoW
Fourth Battle of Gao

The Fourth Battle of Gao was fought in the city of Gao on 20–22 February 2013, during the Northern Mali Conflict. It was an attempt by rebel MOJWA forces to retake the city. The attempt was repelled by Malian government forces with the support of troops from France and Niger.

Fifth Battle of GaoW
Fifth Battle of Gao

On March 23, a battle took place in Gao between MUJAO and Malian army. The Malian army repelled the attack.

Battle of IfoghasW
Battle of Ifoghas

The Battle of Ifoghas, also known as the Battle of Tigharghâr or the Battle of the Ametettai, took place from 18 February to 31 March 2013, during the Northern Mali conflict. The French army and the Chadian army fought armed Salafist jihadist groups led by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Ansar Dine. After being defeated in January in the Battle of Konna and the Battle of Diabaly, the jihadists abandoned Timbuktu and retreated into the Adrar Tigharghar, a mountain of the Adrar of Ifoghas in northeastern Mali, which has been their sanctuary for years. The French started quickly a pursuit, and they took control of the towns of Tessalit and Aguelhok and begun the operation Panther in the Tigharghar. The first clashes erupt on February 18 and are mainly concentrated in the Ametettai Valley. It is caught between two armored columns, one French to the west and another Chadian to the east, while the paratroopers manage to surprise the jihadists by attacking on foot from the north. The valley is taken on March 3 and jihadists begin to gradually abandon the Tigharghar. Excavation missions and some skirmishes, however, continue to take place the following days. The operations cease on March 31. The battle was a turning point in the war, as with the capture of the Tigharghar, the jihadists lose their main sanctuary in the Sahel as well as most of their military arsenal, taken from the Malian army or Libya.

In Amenas hostage crisisW
In Amenas hostage crisis

The In Amenas hostage crisis began on 16 January 2013, when al-Qaeda-linked terrorists affiliated with a brigade led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar took expat hostages at the Tigantourine gas facility near In Amenas, Algeria. One of Belmokhtar's senior lieutenants, Abdul al Nigeri, led the attack and was among the terrorists killed. After four days, the Algerian special forces raided the site, in an effort to free the hostages.

Battle of In ArabW
Battle of In Arab

The Battle of In Arab was a two-day-long armed confrontation between a unit of the MNLA and a group of MOJWA fighters. The battle resulted in an Azawad victory but both sides suffered casualties.

International Criminal Court investigation in MaliW
International Criminal Court investigation in Mali

The International Criminal Court investigation in Mali or the Situation in the Republic of Mali is an ongoing investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) into war crimes and other crimes within the ICC's jurisdiction that are alleged to have occurred during the Northern Mali conflict since January 2012. The investigation was requested by the government of Mali in July 2012. As the first person who pleaded guilty to a charge of the ICC, al-Mahdi made a statement expressing remorse and advising others not to commit similar acts.

Battle of KhalilW
Battle of Khalil

The Battle of Khalil took place on 22–23 February 2013 and was part of the Northern Mali conflict, the battle began on the 22nd with two suicide bombings.

2nd Battle of KidalW
2nd Battle of Kidal

Since the foreign intervention in Mali, Kidal was retaken by French, Malian, and Chadian troops. On 17 May 2014, Moussa Mara, the Malian prime minister came to visit Kidal.

Battle of KonnaW
Battle of Konna

The Battle of Kona was a battle in the Northern Mali Conflict in the town of Konna in central Mali. Various Islamic fundamentalist rebels fought with the government of Mali, the latter of which was supported by French soldiers participating in Operation Serval. This battle was among the first French engagements in their intervention in the Mali War.

Ambush of Tin-HamaW
Ambush of Tin-Hama

The Ambush of Tin-Hama took place during the Tuareg rebellion of 2012, on March 25, 2012, when a convoy of the Ganda Izo militia was ambushed by the MNLA.

Battle of In EmsalW
Battle of In Emsal

The battle of In Emsal took place during the Tuareg rebellion of 2012. On 20 January, a Malian military convoy that came to rescue the garrison of Aguelhoc was ambushed by rebels of MLNA, and terrorists of Ansar Dine and AQIM.

Battle of Menaka (January 2012)W
Battle of Menaka (January 2012)

The first battle of Menaka is an attack led on January 17, 2012, by armed groups of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and marks the beginning of the Tuareg rebellion of 2012. This is the first in a series of battles aimed a capturing most of the north Mali from the army by the rebels.

Battle of Menaka (November 2012)W
Battle of Menaka (November 2012)

The Second Battle of Ménaka was the last battle fought by the state of Azawad, as they were defeated by an Islamist coalition.

Fall of AndéramboukaneW
Fall of Andéramboukane

On 26 January 2012, the city of Andéramboukane attacked by MNLA rebels. In its statement, the MNLA says that after three hours of fighting, its fighters have captured the majority of Malian soldiers, and the city, including a lieutenant and a chief warrant officer. They further claimed to have seized three armored vehicles and ammunition.

Operation Panther (2013)W
Operation Panther (2013)

Operation Panther was a French military operation in Mali that was launched in February 2013.

Operation ServalW
Operation Serval

Operation Serval was a French military operation in Mali. The aim of the operation was to oust Islamic militants from the north of Mali, who had begun a push into the center of Mali.

Ambush of TinsalaneW
Ambush of Tinsalane

The ambush of Tinsalane occurred on February 11, 2012, when armed groups of Ansar Dine and the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) fought against a convoy of the Malian army who came to reinforce the troops besieged in Tessalit.

Battle of TessalitW
Battle of Tessalit

The Amachach military base in Tessalit was defended by roughly 800 Malian soldiers commanded by Colonel Kassim Goita, with 1,500 refugees being mostly Tuareg women and children. The International Committee of the Red Cross was sent to help evacuate civilians and military families, but despite the approval of the MNLA, Malian authorities delayed the operation and it was never executed as a humanitarian source. Other Malian military forces in the region of Tessalit were led by Colonels' Didier Dacko, Ould Meydou, and the well respected Tuareg commander El Hadji Ag Gamou.

Battle of TimbuktuW
Battle of Timbuktu

The Battle of Timbuktu occurred in Timbuktu, Mali, in March 2013, between Islamist groups and Mali government forces supported by France.

Second Battle of TimbuktuW
Second Battle of Timbuktu

The Battle of Timbuktu was a phase of the Northern Mali conflict, taking place in late March 2013, in which two Islamist attacks targeted the Malian army in Timbuktu. With help from the French, both attacks were prevented from capturing any significant sites in the city.

Battle of Tin KeratenW
Battle of Tin Keraten

On March 6, French and Malian forces took control of the Wadi Tin Keraten area, located 100 km east of Gao and northeast of Imenas. When Malian soldiers got near Tin Keraten, they were attacked by Islamists from MOJWA. French ground troops arrived supported by Tiger helicopters and Gazelles along with some warplanes. Four Malian soldiers were wounded during the battle and a French soldier, sergeant Wilfried Pingaud of the 68th Artillery Regiment in Africa, was mortally wounded. He was transported to Gao where he died of his wounds. The Islamists lost about ten men according to French reports.

Battle of GoumakouraW
Battle of Goumakoura

The battle of Goumakoura took place during the Tuareg rebellion of 2012. On February 24, 2012, a military camp of the Malian army was attacked by the MNLA. The attack was however repelled.

Battle of TessitW
Battle of Tessit

The MLNA separatists ambushed a convoy defended by Malian soldiers and Tuareg militia commanded by captain Ahmadou Ag Badi. The latter fled after an hour of fighting. Another MNLA mobile unit then began chasing them about 50 kilometers to the outskirts of the town of In Tillit. The MNLA said it ignored the Malian losses because of the large extent of the scene of the fighting, however, it considers that the latter have suffered loss of life and material and also stated that it had no loss in its ranks.

Battle of TinzaouatenW
Battle of Tinzaouaten

On February 8, 2012, rebels from the separatist Movement for the National Liberation of Azawad attacked a military outpost in Tinzaouaten located on the Algerian borderline. The battle led to the capture of the city by rebel forces of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad. A Malian government statement was released the following day declaring a "strategic withdrawal" from its base in Tinzaouaten. A Malian soldier was killed. Ten were captured and 37 defected and were retrieved by Algerian authorities.

United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in MaliW
United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali

The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali is a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali. MINUSMA was established on 25 April 2013 by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2100 to stabilise the country after the Tuareg rebellion of 2012. It was officially deployed on 1 July, and has become the UN's most dangerous peacekeeping mission, with 209 peacekeepers killed out of a force of about 15,200.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2056W
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2056

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2056 was unanimously adopted on 5 July 2012.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2071W
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2071

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2071 was unanimously adopted on 12 October 2012. It related to the 2012 Northern Mali conflict and mandated that an actionable plan for military intervention be made by ECOWAS and the African Union within 45 days.