Mali’s defence minister has died following an attack on his residence, his family said on Sunday, as the country’s military battled a second consecutive day of fighting with jihadist fighters and separatist rebels near the capital Bamako and other cities, placing the ruling junta under mounting pressure.
Defence Minister Sadio Camara, his second wife, and two of his grandchildren were killed in a car bomb attack on their home in the junta stronghold of Kati, outside Bamako, according to his family and an official source.
The coordinated assaults on Saturday were carried out by Tuareg separatists of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) coalition and the jihadist Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), targeting multiple locations across the vast Sahel nation.
Fighting continued into Sunday in several areas, including Kati, Kidal, and Gao.
Rebel claims and shifting control
Tuareg rebels claimed an agreement had been reached allowing Russian forces supporting the Malian army to withdraw from the northern city of Kidal, which they said was now “totally” under their control.
“An accord has been reached permitting the (Malian) army and its (Russian) Africa Corps allies to leave the camp 2, where they were holed up since yesterday,” a Tuareg official told AFP.
A resident confirmed seeing a military convoy leave the area. “Fighters from armed movements have now taken over the streets,” the resident said.
Kidal, a longstanding Tuareg stronghold, was recaptured in November 2023 by the Malian army with support from Russian Wagner mercenaries, ending more than a decade of rebel control.
The FLA also said it had taken positions in parts of the northern Gao region.
A security source said the attacks appeared to be coordinated rather than aimed at full territorial control.
“The aim of the attackers was not to seize and hold cities, but to carry out coordinated actions and potentially capture Kidal, which is a highly symbolic target,” the source said.
Nationwide unrest and casualties
Mali has faced over a decade of insurgency and jihadist violence, but Saturday’s attacks were among the most serious since the military takeover in 2020.
The strikes hit areas on the outskirts of Bamako as well as multiple towns across the country.
The government said 16 civilians and soldiers were wounded and described the material damage as “limited,” insisting that “the situation is totally under control” in all affected locations.
However, tension remained high in the capital, where access to military installations was restricted by roadblocks and makeshift barricades, according to an AFP journalist.
In the Senou district, near the airport and one of the hardest-hit areas, residents described panic and lingering fear.
“I still hear the blasts ringing in my ears. It’s traumatising,” one resident said.
In Kati, residents said the area was calmer on Sunday after the attackers withdrew, but anxiety remained widespread.
“We are living in fear,” one resident said.
International reaction
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the violence, expressing deep concern over the coordinated attacks across Mali.
“The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by reports of attacks in several locations across Mali,” his spokesperson said, calling for stronger international cooperation to address rising extremism in the Sahel.
The European Union also condemned what it described as “terrorist attacks” in Mali.
Russia’s Africa Corps, which operates under the Russian defence ministry, has taken over from the Wagner Group in supporting Malian forces in their fight against jihadist groups.
Mali, a resource-rich nation with significant gold reserves, has in recent years shifted away from Western allies, cutting ties with former colonial power France while deepening relations with Russia.
AFP
