Renewed Conflict Erupts as Mali Army Battles Separatist Rebels

The Malian army has engaged in battles with separatist rebels in the north of the country, with the rebels claiming to have seized another military base. The Co-ordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), an alliance of Tuareg-dominated groups, announced that they have taken control of the Bamba military base in the Gao region. This is the fourth military base taken by the CMA since August, following the departure of a UN peacekeeping mission. The CMA seeks autonomy or independence for the desert region of Azawad and tensions have risen since the military seized power in two coups. The rebel attack on Bamba is part of an intensification of clashes as both sides vie for control of territory in Mali's central and northern deserts.