Assassination of Defence Minster by nationwide armed groups' attack

Mali’s Defence Minister General Sadio Camara has been assassinated during coordinated rebel militant attacks on military installations across the country, according to Al Jazeera report on Sunday.

The attack began in a day after his residence in the garrison town of Kati came under assault amid simultaneous strikes by an al-Qaeda-linked group and Tuareg rebels.

Camara, a key figure in Mali’s military leadership following coups in 2020 and 2021, was considered one of the most influential members of the ruling junta.

Analysts say that his death is a major blow to the country’s armed forces.

According to reports, attackers carried out a suicide car bombing targeting his residence in Kati, a heavily fortified military town about 15 kilometres northwest of the capital, Bamako, where interim President Assimi Goita also resides.

Despite the scale of the assault, Goita was safely evacuated and remains in a secure location, according to Al Jazeera reports.

The attacks also targeted several other locations, including Bamako and the northern and central regions, such as Gao, Kidal, and Sevare. Witnesses reported heavy gunfire and explosions continuing in some areas hours after the initial assault.

Authorities accuse armed groups, including Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and Tuareg fighters from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), of coordinating the attacks.

Analysts warn that the situation remains volatile, with further clashes expected as rival armed groups intensify operations against state forces.

The African Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the United States Bureau of African Affairs have condemned the attacks.