Timbuktu and kidnapping three others. This was the first terrorist incident in Timbuktu itself. On 1 April 2012, one day after the capture of Gao, Timbuktu was captured from the Malian military by the Tuareg rebels of the MNLA and Ansar Dine. Five days later, the MNLA declared the region independent of Mali as the nation of Azawad. The declared political entity was not recognized by any regional nations or the international community and it collapsed three months later on 12 July. On 28 January 2013, French and Malian government troops began retaking Timbuktu from the Islamist rebels. The force of
Timbuktu (musician) 2010 Arash released a video for "Dasa Bala" featuring Timbuktu, Yag and Aylar Lie, which was directed and edited by Fred Khoshtinat. Timbuktu (musician) Jason Michael Bosak Diakité (born 11 January 1975 in Lund), known under the stage name Timbuktu, is a Swedish rapper and reggae artist. Earlier in the mid-1990s, he started as part of the rap group Excel before going solo as Timbuktu. He has won several Grammis awards, the highest music awards in Sweden, including Lyricist of the Year and best Hip-hop Record of the Year. He is the son of Madubuko Diakité, a US born Swedish