Coordination of Azawad Movements
{{Short description|Mali resistance coalition}}
{{refimprove|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox militant organization
| name = Coordination of Azawad Movements
| native_name = {{lang|ber|ⵜⴰⵙⵈ ⵏ ⵜⵏⴰⴾⵔⵢⵓⵏ ⵜⵢⵏ ⴰⵣⴰⵓⴰⴷ}}
{{lang|ar|تنسيقية الحركات الأزوادية}}
{{lang|fr|Coordination des mouvements de l'Azawad}}
| image = Coordination of Azawad Movements.png
| logo =
| active = 28 October 2014 – 2023
| leaders = Bilal Ag Acherif
Alghabass Ag Intalla
Mohamed Ag Najem
Sidi Brahim Ould Sidati{{Assassinated}}
Ibrahim Ould Handa{{cite news|url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1464631/politique/nord-du-mali-dix-choses-a-savoir-sur-ibrahim-ould-handa-nouveau-patron-de-la-cma/|title=El Ejército francés se detiene ante Kidal, el feudo de la minoría tuareg de Malí|author=Flore Monteau|work=Jeune Afrique|date=20 July 2023|access-date=28 January 2024|lang=fr}}
| ideology = Nationalism
Azawad Autonomy
Berberism
| flag =
| succeeded by = {{flagicon image|FLA Flag.svg}} Azawad Liberation Front
| headquarters = Kidal (until 2023)
| identification_symbol_label = Flag
| identification_symbol = 150px
}}
{{Contains special characters|Tifinagh}}
The Coordination of Azawad Movements ({{Langx|fr|Coordination des mouvements de l'Azawad}} (CMA); {{langx|ber|ⵜⴰⵙⵈ ⵏ ⵜⵏⴰⴾⵔⵢⵓⵏ ⵜⵢⵏ ⴰⵣⴰⵓⴰⴷ|label=Tamasheq}}; {{langx|ar|تنسيقية الحركات الأزوادية}}) is a large coalition of Tuareg independentist and Arab nationalist groups that formed in Mali during the Northern Mali conflict in 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20140826-groupes-nord-mali-cherchent-accorder-leurs-violons-alger|publisher=rfi.fr|title=Les groupes du nord du Mali cherchent à accorder leurs violons pour Alger - RFI|date=25 August 2014 |accessdate=2017-03-25}}
Organization
The CMA was founded on 28 October 2014 as an alliance of three separate rebel groups: The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), The High Council for the Unity of Azawad (HCUA), and a faction of the Arab Movement of Azawad (MAA) that is active in or around the Timbuktu Region{{Cite web |title=MAPPING ARMED GROUPS IN MALI AND THE SAHEL|url=https://ecfr.eu/special/sahel_mapping/maa_cma#menuarea |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=ecfr.eu |language=en}}
Other rebel groups claim to belong to the CMA but are not recognized by its founding members: The {{ill|Coordination of Patriotic Resistance Movements and Forces|fr|Coordination des mouvements et Front patriotique de résistance}} (CMFPR), the Coalition of the People of Azawad (CPA), the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA).{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}
CMA and its main member, MNLA, are mostly secular and arab nationalist political organizations that are seeking independence for Azawad within Mali. CMA includes fighters from various ethnic groups across the Sahara, like Tuareg arabs, Fulani arabs and Songhai arabs.{{Cite web |last=McCombie |first=Charlie |date=2024-03-03 |title=The Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) |url=https://www.moderninsurgent.org/post/the-coordination-of-azawad-movements-cma |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=Modern Insurgent |language=en}} CMA is described as an umbrella organization that does not represent one unified ideology.{{Cite web |title=Coalition des Mouvements de l’Azawad (CMA) - Mapping armed groups in Mali and the Sahel |url=https://ecfr.eu/special/sahel_mapping/cma |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=ecfr.eu}}
On February 2023, 3 main rebel groups of CMA, have announced their merger into new rebel coalition, Azawad Liberation Front, in the city of Kidal.{{Cite web |last=Nova |first=Redazione Agenzia |date=2023-02-09 |title=Mali: three armed groups of the Azawad coalition unite |url=https://www.agenzianova.com/en/news/mali-three-armed-groups-of-the-azawad-coalition-unite/ |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=Agenzia Nova |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=February 12, 2024 |title=Creation of Azawad Liberation Front depends crisis in the Sahel Region |url=https://thearabweekly.com/creation-azawad-liberation-front-deepens-crisis-sahel-region&ved=2ahUKEwja_PGuspOMAxWZLBAIHVF6M4o4ChAWegQILBAB&usg=AOvVaw0e3eNHbCzJH8NFUHucyTWU |website=The Arab Weekly}}
The CMA is chaired by Ibrahim Ould Handa as of 2023. Sidi Brahim Ould Sidati, president of the CMA from 2017 to 2018, was assassinated in Bamako on April 13, 2021.{{Cite web |title=Mali: Prominent leader of ex-Tuareg-led rebel alliance shot dead |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/13/mali-ex-rebels-say-prominent-leader-shot-dead |access-date=2023-10-08 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2021-04-13 |title=Mali ex-rebels say prominent leader Ould Sidati shot dead |url=https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20210413-mali-ex-rebels-say-prominent-leader-ould-sidati-shot-dead |access-date=2023-10-08 |website=France 24 |language=en}}
The CMA formed the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security, and Development (CSP-PSD) coalition with Platform in 2021. Platform withdrew from the CSP-PSD in 2024.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}