Azawad, or Azawagh (Tuareg: Azawaɣ, or Azawad; ) is the name given to northern Mali by Tuareg rebels, as well as a former short-lived unrecognised state from 2012 to 2013. Azawagh ("Azawaɣ") is the generic Tuareg Berber name of all Tuareg Berber areas, especially the northern half of Mali and northern and western Niger. Its independence was declared unilaterally by the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) in 2012, after a Tuareg rebellion drove the Malian Army from the region. It rejoined Mali in February 2013, after less than a year of unrecognized independence.