Tuareg tribesman who fought for Moammar Gadhafi in Libya, stoking violence in Mali

(CNN) -- Tuareg tribesman who reportedly fought for Moammar Gadhafi in Libya have returned to Mali with weapons, stoking violence and forcing thousands to flee, Mali's president said.

The development, announced by President Amadou Toumani Toure in a speech broadcast on state TV over the weekend, is perhaps the most-significant regional fallout to date from the end of former Libyan leader's regime.

The fighters returning from Libya have blended into the National Movement for Liberation of the Azawad (MNLA) and renamed northern Mali as the Azawad, the name of the region home to a majority of the Mali Tuareg.

During the address, Toure blamed freshly-armed fighters returning from Libya for attacks on military patrols outside the northeastern town of Aguelhoc, which has become a flashpoint in the struggle between the military and the rebels.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/06/world/africa/mali-unrest/

Over 1 500 Malians flee Tuareg conflict

More than 1 500 Malians fleeing a Tuareg rebellion in the north and reprisal attacks in Bamako have found refuge in neighbouring Burkina Faso, a security official said on Monday.

"We have more than 1 500 Malians who have found refuge inside our borders," the official said on condition of anonymity.

"There are those who are fleeing the fighting in the north and those fleeing the abuses committed in Bamako," he said, adding that deserting soldiers and paramilitary forces were also among the refugees. He said that the refugees had come to the capital Ouagadougou and to the country's second city of Bobo Dioulasso, 365km to the west.

The Azawad National Liberation Movement (MNLA) and other Tuareg rebels seeking more autonomy launched a major offensive in north Mali on January 17, sparking clashes that have killed dozens on both sides.

http://mg.co.za/article/2012-02-06-over-1-500-malians-flee-tuareg-conflict/