Mali’s Defence Minister, General Sadio Camara, has been killed in coordinated assaults on military sites across the country, a government spokesperson confirmed on Sunday.
Camara’s residence in the garrison town of Kati, about 15km northwest of Bamako, came under attack on Saturday.
The assault was carried out by fighters from the al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and Tuareg rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA).
Government spokesperson Issa Ousmane Coulibaly said Camara was killed when assailants targeted his home. His second wife and two grandchildren also died in the attack.
Camara was a central figure in Mali’s military government, which seized power after coups in 2020 and 2021. He was seen as one of the most influential leaders and a possible future head of state.
“He was one of the most influential figures within the ruling military leadership and had been seen by some as a possible future leader of Mali,” Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque reported.
Haque added: “His death is a major blow to the country’s armed forces.”
The attack involved a suicide car bomb at Camara’s residence in Kati, a heavily fortified military town where Interim President Assimi Goita also lives. Goita was moved to safety and remains in command.
Nationwide Assaults And Global Condemnation
Gunmen also attacked several other locations, including Bamako, Gao, Kidal, and Sevare. Residents in Kidal reported heavy gunfire and explosions more than 24 hours after the assaults began.
Analyst Bulama Bukarti noted: “More battles for control of territory and strategic locations are likely in the coming days.” He explained that groups previously fighting each other had now joined forces against the state.
“These are two groups fighting for different objectives. But they came together last year and said they would work together going forward, and what we have seen over the last few days is the actual implementation of this agreement,” Bukarti said.
The African Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the United States Bureau of African Affairs, and the European Union condemned the attacks, calling for stability and accountability in Mali.
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