The Malian government has issued an international arrest warrant against 28 rebels and drug traffickers, including Iyad Ag Ghaly, the head of the rebel movement Ansar Dine, the country's national television (ORTM) announced on Friday.

"The arrest warrant targets 28 people who are members of criminal groups like Ansar Dine, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), the Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI) and drug traffickers," the public prosecutor at the Bamako Court of Appeal, Daniel Tessougue, said.

The statement emphasized that the arrest warrant "will be executed whether at the national or international level, and that the Criminal Court had already been informed about the charges against the said individuals."

"Crimes against humanity and war crimes, threatening state security, inappropriate usage of weapons against the state and causing religious as well as regionalist divisions are some of the charges against them," the statement added.

Some of the 28 individuals are Algabass Ag Intalla and Hamada Ag Bibi for Ansar Dine; Bilal Ag Cherif, Moussa Ag Assarid, Mohamed Djery Mohamed Ig Nagym, and Ibrahim Ag Assalley for MNLA; Oumar Ould Hamaha (Oumar the Barbu) for AQMI; Sidi Mohamed Ould Boumama, Cherif Ag Attaher and Aliou Mahamane Toure for MUJAO.