Tuareg separatist rebels from the NMLA (National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad) stand near their vehicle in Timbuktu, Mali, April 11, 2012. Amid the political upheaval following a March 21 coup, separatist rebels in northern Mali have declared an independent state, dubbed Azawad, that is larger than France. The power vacuum also has allowed an Islamic faction that wants to impose Shariah law in the area to flourish.