The Malian rebel group Ansar Dine says it is ready to fight off any military attempt to end their control of the country's north. The group is increasingly dominant there, having declared an independent union with the largely secular Tuareg fighters earlier this year. But Ansar Dine is facing opposition from locals. It is estimated that more than 300,000 residents have fled since the region was seized. Those who remain face increasingly assertive rebels, and an increasingly tumultuous future.

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Worst Crisis in 50 Years Hits Mali

• Worst Human Rights Situation in 50 Years
• Triple Disaster Threatens Children in North
• Conflict in Mali Meets a Worsening Food Crisis
• Migration, Militias, Coups and Climate Change

Africa Struggles Over Mali

• UN-Backed AU Peacekeeping Force for Mali Imminent
• African Parliament Condemns Mali Coup
• Junta-Ecowas Agreement Is Likely, Lowering Sanctions Risks
• Calls Mount for U.S. Intervention
• Remove This Junta
• Food Crisis, Refugee Crisis Hits Locals
• Tuareg Separatists, Salafists Forge Alliance
• Tuareg-Islamist Unity Bid in North Mali Unravels
• ECOWAS Rejects Northern Mali Secession
• Peace Making Role of West African Trade Bloc