Two rebel groups that seized control of the northern half of Mali have agreed to work together to create an independent Islamic state on the territory they occupy.

Mali’s Tuareg rebels, who seized control of the country’s north in the chaotic aftermath of a military coup, have declared independence of the Azawad nation.

Rebels who seized control of Mali’s remote north effectively partitioning the country in two have announced a ceasefire, saying they had reached their military goal.

More than 15,000 people including Malian military personnel have fled into neighbouring countries since members of the nomadic Tuareg ethnic group launched a new rebellion against the Malian government last month, aid officials say.