Azwad Liberation Front`s spokesperson Mohamed Maouloud Ramadane stated in a conversation to a the French channel TV5 Monde News, that Azawad wants independence.
The interview is in french so here is a brief summary in english:
Mohamed Maouloud Ramadane said that the relations are strong between the Azawad Liberation Front and several countries such as Ukraine, France, the United States and others, but also that Azwad does not need someone to guide them in the desert: «We know our land very well».
In the discussion it was explained how the Azawad Liberation Front was created a year ago and is the result of the merger of all the signatory movements of the Algiers Accord. And that these fronts exist today almost throughout the territories of Azawad, like the Kidal region, Gao and Taudani, and Timbouctou, where they have a strong military presence and that they are present today throughout the territory, from the Mauritanian border to the Algerian border.
They are there and they are preparing, the Azawadian forces are in a war that was imposed on them, illegally and illegitimately, by carrying out a coup d’état against a democratically elected regime with whom a peace agreement was signed.
Unfortunately, this junta that arrived, broke the peace agreement and brought in the criminal mercenary forces of Wagner, now called Africa Corps, who are committing serious crimes and pursuing a scorched earth policy against the people of Azawad without distinction.
And that there is no longer any dialogue possible with the government. If they wanted dialogue, they wouldn’t have broken the agreement that existed, which constituted a framework for peace that everyone respected.
The Azawad Liberation Front (Front Liberation de lÀzawad, FLA) is simply a continuation of a struggle that began about 60 years ago, or even longer.
It’s important to understand that the struggle of the people of Azawad began well before Mali’s independence.
General de Gaulle, then President of France, was asked by the Tuaregs at the time, not to link their territory to southern Mali, which had nothing in common with them, neither historically, culturally, nor geographically.
And to the question about how they feel about that the Malian junta label them as “terrorists”, he says that “it does not surprise us.” Ramadane explained that for him, it is “the Malian authorities who are terrorists,” since it is them who brought in the Russian Wagner mercenaries, widely known for their massacres on civilians which are truly terrorist acts.
And he mentions that ISIS who has been there for about ten years; and who are some of the worst terrorist groups, nobody has never seen them cut someone up, prepare them like a barbecue, and end up eating them, like some soldiers from the Malian junta have done.
And finally Mohamed Elmouloud Ramadan made it clear that the current situation in Azawad is partly the responsability of France who has made decolonization mistakes that the Azawadian people now are paying the price for.
This is only a very short summary of what was discussed and here is a link to the entire interview on Youtube.
UPDATE – Here is the interview (not the same interiew but the same topic) that was made on France 24.
Global Africa Telesud – Azawad: “L’armée malienne ne peux pas nous faire face”
«La lutte continue jusqu’à ce que nous atteignions notre objectif de libérer les territoires de l’Azawad et les revendications du peuple de l’Azawad, afin qu’il puisse vivre dans une paix et une liberté durables comme le reste des peuples du monde.»
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane
English Translation from the interview:
Statements by Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane (FLA spokesperson) in his speech yesterday on Africa Global Telesud.
« We are the only movement, if I’m not mistaken, in the world that has no aid, no support. It’s true, we have contacts with everyone: the UN, the European Union, ECOWAS, the African Union, neighboring countries, France, the United States, Ukraine, the Gulf countries… We have contacts with everyone, but that doesn’t mean we receive material or even political support. We represent a population that is a victim of oppression and injustice and wants its voice heard. So we can only be in contact with the rest of the world, but that doesn’t mean we are supported by anyone. If we had support, we wouldn’t be here today; we would have already finished this fight.” »
The Azawad Liberation Front, FLA is in a good position and strong today compared to the start of the war in 2023. Because in 2023, we were in the midst of a peace process and we could have thought of anything but war. From 2023 to 2025, we endured a war that was declared against our will, which the junta preferred over peace. For seven years, we withdrew from the city of Kidal and from all the positions we occupied during this peace process, to better prepare ourselves and return with strength.
Today, after three years, we are back on the ground; our forces are redeployed throughout the territories of Azawad. It’s true that we haven’t yet begun the offensive to liberate the cities, but we are present, and the enemy knows this well, whether it’s Africa Corps or the Malian army. They know we are there and that reclaiming the territory is only a matter of time. Militarily, we are well prepared and we are ready. The rest depends on the men on the ground, the FLA soldiers who are there, but I can assure you: today the FLA is in a good position to achieve this objective.”
You know, our problem today isn’t the Malian army. The Malian army is suffering heavy defeats against groups in the center, and it’s the same in the north. It’s always the same, and they can’t stand up to us. Today, we have a problem with the Russian army. Russia is the second-largest power in the world; we’re facing the Africa Corps, which reports directly to the Ministry of Defense, and we’re facing Turkish drones. That’s why we took the time to prepare properly, because we’re no longer in a war we’re used to.
Today, the risks are confined to the old bases built by the Malian government, in Kidal, Ber, Timbuktu, Gao… Wherever they are, they can no longer go into hamlets, villages, or camps to massacre women and children. Even moving supplies from Gao to Léré, for example, takes more than a month, under 24/7 drone surveillance. Fear has shifted. We are not afraid; we are the sons of this territory, we know every dune, every rock, every tree. No one can wage war against us. Anyone who thinks they can win a war against Azawad is mistaken, especially someone who comes from very far away and whose climate and geography are not favorable.
We have always prioritized dialogue. Proof of this is that since 2012 we have signed agreements. It is thanks to us that there were presidential elections after the 2012 coup. Let us not forget that it was the Ouagadougou Agreement that led to the election of Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta. We signed this agreement with them.
Unfortunately, IBK also betrayed us by attacking in Kidal, and it took another mediation, that of Algeria with the entire international community, to reach the Algiers Agreement. The Malian government signed this agreement, but it dragged on for eight years without implementation. So the problem isn’t dialogue: the problem is that the Malian authorities have never respected their commitments. All the signed agreements have been flouted. And each time, Bamako chooses the right moment to wage war on us, like in 2023. We were the last to sign because we knew that this agreement did not meet the aspirations of the people of Azawad.
But pressure from the EU, the United States, the AU, and neighboring countries pushed us to sign. We respected our commitments until the last minute, then the junta brought back Wagner’s Russian mercenaries and unleashed a war against us and our people. So today we are at war, I don’t see how we can talk about dialogue.
I draw the attention of the international community, and particularly humanitarian organizations, to this situation. Today, in Azawad, no humanitarian NGO can operate. They have all been banned or expelled by the Malian authorities. The populations who fled fear of the Malian army, taking refuge along the Algerian or Mauritanian borders, are suffering without any help.
It is time for the international community to think about this part of the world. As Macron said, all lives are equal: here too, there are human lives suffering and in need of assistance. The refugee camps in Mauritania are overflowing, and the east of the country is saturated. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Mauritanian authorities and people for the welcome they gave to those who fled the Wagner massacres. But Mauritania alone cannot meet these needs. The UNHCR and international organizations must intervene.
The Malian junta is not primarily responsible for this crisis. This crisis dates back well before Mali’s independence. France bears some responsibility: in the 1960s, when it granted independence in West Africa, the populations were not consulted, and the division of territories was not equitable. Our tribal chiefs sent a petition signed by more than 400 notables to General de Gaulle asking that Azawad not be annexed to Mali. They were not listened to. Today, we are experiencing the consequences of these political errors.
The Azawad-Mali conflict is at the root of the destabilization of the entire Sahel. As long as it remains unresolved, there will always be instability. The international community is addressing the symptoms: insecurity, underdevelopment, etc. But the causes are political and require political solutions.
The people of Azawad have been demanding independence since before Mali’s independence. The ALF is simply a continuation of this demand. This population has tried all sorts of solutions, all possible agreements, without any definitive results. They are tired: every five years, we return to square one. To put an end to the problems in Azawad and Mali, and more broadly in the Sahel, we need a definitive solution that meets the aspirations of the people of Azawad.
Unfortunately, the international community has forgotten the Sahel. It may be busy elsewhere, in the Middle East or Ukraine, but that is no excuse. The Sahel is a strategic region. The stability of the world depends on the stability of the Sahel. We need a definitive political solution to the Azawad issue to put an end to the interference, the repeated coups d’état, and the multiple crises.
We are in a daily struggle. Every day is a work, a struggle. The fight continues until we achieve our goal: to liberate the territories of Azawad, to make the voice of our people heard and to realize their demands, so that they can live in peace and freedom like the other peoples of the world.»
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane
Our comment: Azawad deserves full recognition from major powers and international bodies such as the UN. This recognition would not be a favor, but a legitimate right for a people who have been fighting for decades against oppression, oblivion, injustice and marginalization.
And on top of that they are suffering this genocide where every possible human right is violated.
The people of Azawad aspire only to live freely, with dignity, and in peace on their land, ensuring security, fundamental rights, and development for future generations. To ignore this reality is to turn a blind eye to a just and noble cause.
An Azawadian, in the heart of the desert, between rocks and sand dunes, doesn’t need a foreign intelligence service to successfully carry out his fight against the enemy
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane
Azawad Support Group
22-09-25