Kammala jumla mai zuwa: Tawayen Tuareg a farkon shekarar 2012 wanda ya tilasta wa sojojin Mali, wata ƙasa ta Yammacin Afirka da ke da mahimmancin mallakar Sahara, su janye kudu da layin da National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) ta yi da'awar cewa ita ce iyakar kudu maso yammacin ƙasar Tuareg a watan Afrilu. Rikicin ya kara tsanantawa ta hanyar
juyin mulkin da sojoji suka yi wanda ya tilasta wa Shugaba Amadou Toumani Toure ya sauka daga mulki kuma a takaice aka kafa gwamnatin soja a Bamako, babban birnin kasar. Tare da dakarun gwamnati da aka tura zuwa Mopti da kudu ta hanyar MNLA da sauran kungiyoyi masu dauke da makamai, ciki har da Ansar Dine da Movement for Oneness and Jihad a Afirka ta Yamma, sakatare janar na MNLA, Bilal Ag Acherif, ya ayyana Azawad a matsayin mai zaman kanta a ranar 6 ga Afrilu 2012.