Rebels declare independence in north Mali

Soon after claiming victory in the north region, Tuareg rebels of north Malis National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) announced ceasfire in Azawad.The statement was released from their website stating, We solemnly proclaim the independence of Azawad as from today.The message also stated that the rebels will respect the borders with other states.Armed Islamists had stormed the Algerian consulate in north-eastern Mali and abducted seven diplomats on Thursday amid fears al-Qaeda-linked fighters are turning the country into a rogue state and fuelling a humanitarian crisis.As the Tuareg trumpeted the success of a decades-old struggle to liberate their homeland, their fundamentalist comrades-turned-rivals began imposing sharia law in parts of northern Mali.Before the rebels claim, Azawad has been known as an unrecognised self-declared de facto sovereign state that is internationally recognised as part of the Republic of Mali.