Mali rebels declare independence in north

Mali's desert Tuaregs prepare to declare independence in Gao in northern Mali.

They mount their flag on the former govenor's building in Gao, to become the seat of what they call their new state of Azawad.

MNLA officers say Gao will become the capital of the new state.

The nomadic Tuaregs have nurtured the dream of secession since Mali's independence from Franch in 1960 but have little foreign support.

The seizure of Mali's north was backed by Islamists with ties to al Qaeda.