Why did the alliance between the MNLA and Ansar Dine break apart in 2012?

The alliance between the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and the Islamist group Ansar Dine, announced in late May 2012, collapsed rapidly due to fundamental ideological differences regarding the governance of northern Mali.

The primary cause of the breakdown was Ansar Dine’s insistence on imposing a strict version of Sharīʿah law across the region. This approach directly conflicted with the local population's tradition of practicing a more liberal and tolerant version of Islam. Furthermore, the groups held opposing political goals: while the MNLA sought the independence of the northern territory as the state of Azawad, Ansar Dine’s leader, Iyad Ag Ghali, rejected this claim. He maintained that his group considered themselves Malian, opposed the division of the country, and aimed to impose their interpretation of Islamic law throughout all of Mali rather than limiting their influence to the north.12

By early July 2012, these tensions led Ansar Dine and other Islamist allies to seize control of key northern towns from the MNLA, effectively ending the partnership.12