The Tuareg people of Azawad celebrated the tenth anniversary of Azawad's independence

 For Azawad people, April 6, holds a special place in their hearts, it’s the 10th anniversary of Azawad’s Declaration of Independence. Azawad was declared an independent state by the National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad MNLA in 2012 after a Tuareg rebellion drove the Malian Army from the territory. MNLA sought to establish an independent Saharan state in northern Mali with a secular and democratic government. These developments went underreported by the mainstream media until the recent French intervention in Azawad, in which over one hundred people were killed on its first day.