Malian authorities confirmed on Sunday that Defence Minister General Sadio Camara was killed in coordinated attacks carried out by jihadist fighters and separatist rebels, and that pro‑government forces have withdrawn from the northern town of Kidal.
The attacks, which began on Saturday, involved suicide car bombings, gunfire and assaults on several towns and military installations across the country, including the capital Bamako. Government officials said the strikes left at least 16 people wounded but did not give a total death toll. Camara’s residence was hit by a suicide vehicle; he returned fire, was wounded and later died in hospital, the defence ministry said in a Facebook post.
State television broadcast the announcement of his death by spokesperson General Issa Ousmane Coulibaly. In a separate statement, the head of the armed forces, General Oumar Diarra, confirmed that Malian troops had pulled out of Kidal and were repositioning in Anefis, about 100 km south of the town.
The separatist Tuareg‑led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) declared Kidal “free” after an agreement allowed Russian Africa Corps mercenaries and Malian forces to leave. FLA spokesperson Mohamed El Maouloud Ramadan told state TV that the city was now under rebel control.
Saturday’s offensive marked the first known cooperation between the FLA and the al‑Qaida‑linked Jama’a Nusrat al‑Islām wal‑Muslimīn (JNIM). The JNIM claimed responsibility for attacks in Kidal, on a town outside Bamako and in three other cities. “This operation is being carried out in partnership with JNIM, which is also committed to defending the people against the military regime in Bamako,” Ramadan said.
Security analysts noted the joint operation as a significant escalation. Wassim Nasr, senior research fellow at the Soufan Center, said the simultaneous attacks and the public acknowledgment of cooperation between the groups represented a new level of coordination that extended beyond the battlefield to the political arena.
In response to the wave of violence, authorities imposed a three‑day curfew in Bamako from 21:00 to 06:00. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the attacks and called on regional actors to strengthen cooperation against terrorism.
The events occur against a backdrop of deteriorating security in the Sahel. Since the 2020‑2021 coups, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have turned to Russia for military assistance, replacing former Western partners. The latest attacks highlight growing challenges for the Malian junta and its Russian allies, as militant groups increase their reach and civilian populations bear the brunt of the conflict.
