LAW COURSEWORK - RECOGNITION OF STATES

Law Coursework - Recognition of States

Law Coursework - Recognition of States

Azawad

Background

Azawad is a huge desert region that houses three majority ethnic groups: the Tuareg, inhabiting the entire northern region; the Maures primarily in the southwest; and the Songhai of Gao and Timbuktu. The first two are from the Amazigh (Berber) branch, while others are part of sub-Saharan peoples, prevailing in the rest of Mali. It is essential to discuss that the coup in this country is just another consequence of the partition of Mali. In fact, millions of Tuareg scattered across the Sahel now see Azawad as their promised land, mainly because they have faith that the region could provide a political structure to their nation. It is important to know that the Berber village remains one of the largest communities with permission of the Kurds without a state. Moreover, the economic value of the region is far from sufficient. The only hope for the economy of this territory is if independence of Azawad is embodied in an international recognition, mainly because this would drill the Taoudeni basin in the northwest of the country which is suspected to be rich in oil.

It is a fact that the Tuareg were able to conquer the vast region of Azawad in a couple of weeks. However, the Tuareg soon announced a ceasefire after it faced mounting pressure form the neighbouring governments to push for a peaceful settlement. ECOWAS, the ancient metropolis and Security Council of the UN was particularly worried because they perceived the rebellion as a possibility that Al-Qaeda again have a territory in which to operate without restrictions. The emergence of Ansar Dine (Salafi ideology) could complicate things even further. Azawad is seen as a de facto state since their growing power is being closely watched and followed by the West. Yet, the power continues to influence most of the regional areas save the region of Kidal, which was conquered by the Islamist. Apart from this, Timbuktu is another place where this group has expelled the Tuareg and where banners with the slogan "Allahu Akbar" are commonly seen on rooftops of famous mosques. This is mainly why analysts fear that the shadow of Al-Qaeda is present in Azawad and many efforts have been directed by MNLA leaders to separate their organisation of the terrorist network . However, there are still many western states that are reluctant to accept the independence of a probable Tuareg state. In addition, the emergence of a third actor as Ansar Dine only complicates things and this can thwart secession in favour of the creation of a Sharia-dominated anarchy; one that is similar to that which exists in Somalia.

Rebels and the Military Coup

The African Union (AU) rejected the declaration of independence by the rebels. In a statement, Jean Ping, President of the African Union Commission said, “This is null and void and has no value". Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia told the French newspaper Le Monde that his country would never accept the ...