Tuareg rebels declare independence in north Mali

A rebel group in northern Mali has declared independence for a region it calls Azawad, after seizing control of the area late last month.

The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) made the statement on its website, adding that it would respect other states' borders.
The group is one of two rebel groups to have gained ground in the area after Mali's government was ousted.
Coup leaders took over in protest at the failure to stem the rebellion.
The declaration comes as rights group Amnesty International warned that Mali was on the brink of a major humanitarian disaster in the wake of the rebellion.
It demanded that aid agencies be given immediate access to the country after days of looting, abduction and chaos in the northern towns of Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu.