An ethnic Touareg uprising in Mali, driven by fighters returning from Libya, prompted soldiers to overthrow the government that tasked them with quashing the rebellion.
The Azawad National Liberation Movement began a revolt in January, opening fire on military targets in northwestern Africa where al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has attacked troops and kidnapped foreigners in recent years. Before its ouster yesterday, Mali’s government accused the Touareg group, known by its French acronym MNLA, of working with al-Qaeda and regional drug traffickers.
