Tuareg fighters claim control of key town in northern Mali April 1, 2012 -- Updated 1036 GMT (1836 HKT) Malian soldiers pictured inside a military camp in Kati near Bamako. The northern town is a big prize for the Tuareg rebels They are seeking to wrest control of the region and make it their homeland The influx of Tuareg fighters returning from Libya has revived the insurgency (CNN) -- Rebels in Mali said they have seized control of a key town in the north, a major blow to rival coup leaders who toppled the nation's president last month. The Tuareg rebels' seizure of Gao marks a major prize for the fighters seeking to wrest control of the region to make it their homeland. The latest town, which the fighters said they seized Saturday, is hundreds of miles from the capital of Bamako. In a statement, the rebels said they are now battling for control of Timbaktu from the government, another major city in the north. The fall of Gao intensifies the crisis in the West African nation after soldiers ousted the president March 22 over what they said is his inability to handle the Tuareg rebellion in the north. In a statement during the coup, they accused President Amadou Toumani Toure of "incapacity" in battling the rebels, saying he did not equip soldiers with the means to quash the growing Tuareg insurgency. Leaders of neighboring West African nations have condemned the coup and ordered the military junta to hand over power back to the civilian government by Monday or face sanctions. Tuareg rebels comprise different factions, including the main National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, which claimed they seizure of the town. The influx of Tuareg fighters returning from Libya has re-energized the insurgency, whose battles with government forces have sent tens of thousands of Malians fleeing into neighboring countries. CNN's Samira Said and Marilia Brocchetto contributed to this report April 1, 2012 -- Updated 0722 GMT (1522 HKT) Paul Conroy, the British photographer injured in Syria, tells CNN of his concern for the man who helped him escape. March 30, 2012 -- Updated 0456 GMT (1256 HKT) Getting to the truth of the events that led to one of the worst massacres of the war in Afghanistan may be as long and tortuous as the conflict itself. March 29, 2012 -- Updated 1328 GMT (2128 HKT) CNN Worldwide's managing editor Mark Whitaker looks at how the death of teenager Trayvon Martin encompasses many complex issues. April 1, 2012 -- Updated 0824 GMT (1624 HKT) If Sunday's by-election in Myanmar is deemed to be free and fair, it will cap off a startling about-turn by the former military men currently running the country. March 30, 2012 -- Updated 0846 GMT (1646 HKT) Brothers that helped build Hong Kong's iconic skyline and the man who once was the city's number two official were arrested in an investigation of a bribery case. March 28, 2012 -- Updated 0116 GMT (0916 HKT) Jonathan Alpeyrie has captured violence in Somalia, Afghanistan, South Ossetia and Libya. But his week in Syria was the most frightening experience of his career. March 28, 2012 -- Updated 0942 GMT (1742 HKT) Britain's Prince Harry has moved into the same London residence where his brother William lives with his new wife Kate, CNN can reveal. March 30, 2012 -- Updated 1024 GMT (1824 HKT) Opinion polls suggest voters approve of Nicolas Sarkozy's handling of the Toulouse shooting, but what are the real issues in the French election? March 28, 2012 -- Updated 1346 GMT (2146 HKT) A British businessman who was found dead in his Chinese hotel room emerges as a key link in a story of intrigue, mystery and betrayal. March 28, 2012 -- Updated 1130 GMT (1930 HKT) Documents chronicling the life of South Africa's first black president Nelson Mandela are now available to his fans.