Mali’s Defence Minister, Sadio Camara, has died following a deadly assault on his residence, marking one of the most significant casualties in a wave of coordinated insurgent attacks across the country.
According to a government statement delivered on Sunday by spokesperson Issa Ousmane Coulibaly, a vehicle packed with explosives was driven into the minister’s home in Kati by a suicide attacker. The explosion triggered a fierce exchange of gunfire, during which Camara sustained critical injuries. He was later pronounced dead in hospital.
Authorities announced a two-day national mourning period in honour of the late minister. The incident occurred in Kati, a key military town located about 15 kilometres from the capital, Bamako, where the country’s main army base is situated.
The attacks have been linked to the al-Qaeda-affiliated group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which reportedly coordinated with a Tuareg-led rebel faction to launch simultaneous assaults in multiple locations nationwide.
While the government has yet to release an official death toll, Coulibaly extended condolences to both civilian and military victims affected by the violence.
Security analysts and diplomats have described the operation as one of the most extensive and coordinated insurgent offensives in Mali in recent years. In response, the United Nations has called for a stronger global effort to tackle escalating terrorism across the Sahel region, condemning the attacks in strong terms.
Beyond Kati, the violence spread to areas near Bamako’s airport and northern towns such as Mopti, Sévaré, and Gao. Meanwhile, the situation in Kidal—a former stronghold of the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front—remains uncertain following the attacks.
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