Battle of Kidal (2012)

On 26 March 2012, the city of Kidal was surrounded by MNLA, as well as by the Islamist troops of Ansar Dine. An MNLA executive reaffirmed that there is no link between the two entities, but acknowledged that the situation is ambiguous. Reports from locals in Kidal however, stated that both groups led the operation jointly. According to reports, the men of Ansar Dine were the majority of the rebels during the battle. The MNLA claimed to have proposed to the governor of Kidal and Colonel Gamou to promote the surrender of the army to prevent bloodshed.^{[citation needed]}

On 29 March, Kidal was attacked by Ansar Dine and the MNLA, the Islamists attacked from the south while the Independents launched the assault on the north. The first day, the assault was repulsed by the Malian soldiers, but the next day some Tuareg militiamen of Ag Gamou, especially the fighters from Libya, deserted and joined the rebels.^{[citation needed]}

On 30 March, the rest of the soldiers, demoralized and exhausted, abandoned the city. A soldier close to the Colonel-Major Elhadji Ag Gamou reported that "We were 504 armed men, 300 tamasheqs and 204 from the south. Since the 23rd March in Kidal, the Tuareg rebels of the MNLA and the Islamist group Ansar Dine of Iyad Ag Ghali surrounded us. The MNLA wanted Ag Gamou to return to the ranks of the rebels, and Ag Ghali wanted his head, for searching the houses of Ifoghas families and especially forcing the son of the powerful Kidal Amanokal, Intalla Ag Attaher, to leave the city in February. . (...) We were tired, because we spent the day fighting off the rebels and ensured all the following night not to be surprised by an attack. At around 7:00 am, some of us started sleeping, but an hour later the first rebel fire was fired on the east side of the city. We did not want to fight anymore."^{[citation needed]}

The MNLA claimed victory. Abdul Karim ag Matafa, the president of the revolutionary council of the MNLA arrived in the city. According to witnesses, elements of AQIM also took part in the clashes.^{[citation needed]}

After the fighting, Iyad ag Ghali, head of Ansar Dine arrived in the city "at the head of a procession of vehicles. The governor of the region, six other local officials, the army zone commander, the colonel of special units and the head of the gendarmerie "are held in security" with a traditional chief, according to a local official's report.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]}