Proper noun
Azawad
an unrecognised unilaterally declared de facto sovereign state in north-west Africa
After two months of fighting, the Malian army has lost control of most of Azawad, while the number of troops that have either been killed, taken captive or deserted is now thought to be at least 1,000. Source: Internet
Mali's Tuareg tribe, part of the nomadic community of the Sahara, live in the area of Azawad, which refers to the Tuareg-speaking zone that covers the country's north. Source: Internet
The abduction was ordered by a member of the Tuareg National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), who was arrested and was now being questioned in Tessalit, an unnamed official in Kidal told AFP news agency. Source: Internet
The Tuareg rebellion was a series of insurgencies that dated back since 1916 as the rebels of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad fought to gain independence for the northern region of Mali. Source: Internet
A Reuters reporter saw the rebels entering the town and hoisting the flag of Azawad, the desert territory bigger than France that they want to make their homeland, before pulling back after meeting resistance. Source: Internet
On the 6th of April the MNLA (Movement for the Liberation of Azawad) declared the independence of Azawad. Source: Internet