The Azawad Liberation Front's formation was announced in a press release, following a meeting held between 26 and 30 November by approximately 180 officials and members of the
Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad (CSP-DPA). The group declared its objective to be "the total liberation of
Azawad and the formation of the Azawad Authority". It adopted a new flag and called for the "self-determination" of Azawad. The organization was formed from the merger of four movements of the CSP into a single entity — the
National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), the
High Council for the Unity of Azawad (HCUA) and rebel fringes of the
Arab Movement of Azawad (MAA) and
Imghad Tuareg Self-Defense Group and Allies (GATIA). The day after the creation of the FLA, seven or eight of its leaders were killed in a
Bayraktar TB2 drone strike near
Tinzaouaten, including
Fahad Ag Almahmoud, head of the rebel branch of GATIA, and Choguibe Ag Attaher, an
amenukal of the
Tuareg tribe of Idnanes. On 25 April 2026, the FLA
began offensives against the Malian Army and claimed control of
Kidal and parts of
Gao. The offensive is being conducted in coordination with the
Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which has launched attacks in other parts of the country.{{cite news |last1=Shankar == Relations with other countries ==