Tuareg separatists say they will honour self-determination in Azawad, but the military balance will be key to northern Mali’s future
Having seized key towns across the arid north in alliance with jihadists, the Front de libération de l’Azawad (FLA) claims that rather than ramming through secession it will honour the wishes of residents. That might not convince those who remember jihadist misrule in northern Mali 15 years ago. They may fear the separatists could, as then, once again be shoved aside by Islamist hardliners and may also be somewhat sceptical about the Tuareg group’s commitment to democratic practice. There are signs that the FLA is positioning itself in advance of negotiations in the wake of the insurgents’ military success.