Fighting between government forces and Touareg fighters seeking independence in the north of Mali has displaced some 124,000 people, the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday. According to dpa, more than 63,000 people have been displaced inside Mali, and more than 61,000 people have fled to neighboring countries such as Niger and Burkina Faso, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement. Tuareg fighters of the Azawad National Liberation Movement (MNLA) have been strengthened by an influx of weapons from Libya. Mali is due to hold a presidential election on April 29. According to Mali analyst Paul Gabriel, the period leading up to the polls is likely to be "increasingly influenced by the ongoing Tuareg uprising."
