Mali Defence Minister Sadio Camara killed in wave of  coordinated attacks

Mali’s Defence Minister, General Sadio Camara, has been killed in a coordinated wave of attacks that struck military and strategic targets across the country, dealing a major blow to the ruling junta.

Reports said Camara was killed after his residence in Kati, a heavily militarised town near Bamako, came under attack during a broader offensive linked to al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM and Tuareg separatist fighters.

The assault formed part of one of the most serious attacks on Mali in recent years, with militants striking locations including Bamako, Kati, Gao, Sévaré and Kidal.

JNIM claimed responsibility for attacks on Bamako’s airport and other cities, saying it acted jointly with the Azawad Liberation Front.

Camara was a central figure in Mali’s military government and one of the architects of the junta’s security strategy after the coups that reshaped the country’s politics from 2020.

His death is expected to deepen pressure on military leader Assimi Goïta, whose government has struggled to contain worsening insecurity despite turning away from Western partners and strengthening ties with Russia.

The attacks also exposed the vulnerability of Mali’s security architecture, as armed groups demonstrated the capacity to launch simultaneous operations across several regions.

AP reported that Malian troops and Russian mercenaries withdrew from Kidal after coordinated rebel attacks, while the government imposed a night-time curfew in Bamako.

The Malian government said the assailants suffered setbacks and that several were neutralised, but the scale of the offensive has raised fresh fears over the stability of the Sahel nation.

Camara’s killing marks a symbolic and operational setback for the junta. As defence minister, he was closely identified with Mali’s hardline military response to insurgency and its diplomatic pivot toward Moscow.