The Imghad Tuareg Self-Defense Group and Allies (,
abbreviated
An abbreviation () is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method including shortening, contraction, initialism (which includes acronym), or crasis. An abbreviation may be a shortened form of a word, usually ended with a trailing per ...
GATIA) was an armed group in
Azawad
Azawad, or Azawagh (Tuareg languages, Tuareg: Azawaɣ, or Azawad; ), was a short-lived diplomatic recognition, unrecognised state lasting between 2012 and 2013. Azawagh (''Azawaɣ'') is the generic Tuareg, Tuareg Berber name for all Tuareg Ber ...
,
Mali
Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
. Most of its 500 to 1,000 fighters
were
Imghad Tuaregs, and the group supports the
Mali
Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
an government.
History
GATIA was founded on 14 August 2014
as a
self-defense
Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of Force (law), ...
group of armed locals, in response to the
Malian Army
The Malian Armed Forces (, FAMa) consists of the Army (), Republic of Mali Air Force (), and National Guard. They number some 7,000 and are under the control of the Minister of Armed Forces and Veterans. The Library of Congress as of January 200 ...
's total defeat in the
2nd Battle of Kidal on 21 May 2014 by the
National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ...
(MNLA).
In collaboration with
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
forces, GATIA and the
Movement for the Salvation of Azawad
The Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (; Abbreviation, abbreviated MSA) is a Tuareg people, Tuareg political movement and armed group in Azawad, Mali. It was founded on 2 September 2016 by Moussa Ag Acharatoumane.
History
The MSA was found ...
(MSA) launched a joint-operation on 23 February 2018 to capture or kill
Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, the
ISIL
The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signif ...
commander in Mali. Al-Sahrawi survived and managed to evade capture, but six ISIL militants were killed in the
clashes.
GATIA-MSA forces
clashed with ISIL militants from 2 to 5 June 2018. ISIL commander
Almahmoud Ag Akawkaw was captured, while
Amat Ag Assalate
Amat may refer to:
Names
* Amat (surname), surname of Provençal/Catalan origin
* Amat (name prefix), Arabic female name prefix
People
* Ismail Amat (1935–2018), Uyghur politician of China
* Zain Amat (born 1975), Singaporean trap shooter
Oth ...
was killed during the battle.
On December 1, 2024, a former commander of GATIA, Fahad Ag Almahmoud, was assassinated in a drone strike by the Malian army.
Ideology
GATIA is a pro-
Mali
Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
an government group and is generally opposed to the
MNLA and an independent
Azawad
Azawad, or Azawagh (Tuareg languages, Tuareg: Azawaɣ, or Azawad; ), was a short-lived diplomatic recognition, unrecognised state lasting between 2012 and 2013. Azawagh (''Azawaɣ'') is the generic Tuareg, Tuareg Berber name for all Tuareg Ber ...
.
References
{{Reflist, 2
Azawad
Organizations established in 2014
Political movements in Mali
Rebel groups in Mali
2014 establishments in Mali
Military units and factions of the Mali War