Mali secular rebels appoint administrator in Kidal

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — A secular rebel group that has long sought independence in northern Mali now has appointed its own administrator to govern the region of Kidal, a move that shows its growing strength after a French-led military operation forced its rivals into the desert.

The National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad, or NMLA, announced late Wednesday that Mohamed Aly Ag Al Bessati would serve as the civil administrator for Kidal.