Mali's Defense Minister Killed in Coordinated Attacks; Separatists and Jihadists Seize Multiple Towns

Gen. Sadio Camara, Mali's Minister of Defense, was killed in an attack on Saturday, according to the Malian government. Jihadi and rebel forces seized several towns and military bases across Mali during the assault, authorities stated.

The Malian government confirmed Camara's death in a post on the defense ministry's Facebook page. State-run television broadcast the announcement by spokesman Gen. Issa Ousmane Coulibaly. Coordinated attacks targeted the Malian army in Bamako and several other cities and towns on Saturday.

At least 16 people were wounded in the attacks, the government reported. Camara's residence was targeted by a suicide car bomber and other attackers, according to a Malian government statement. Camara engaged in an exchange of fire with the assailants, neutralized some, was wounded during the clashes, and succumbed to his injuries in a hospital, the statement said.

Russian Africa Corps troops and the Malian military withdrew from Kidal on Saturday after an agreement for a peaceful exit, FLA spokesperson Mohamed El Maouloud Ramadan stated. 'Kidal is declared free,' Ramadan said. The Malian army stated it was tracking down terrorist armed groups in Kidal.

Kidal was taken by Malian government forces and Russian mercenaries in 2023. Separatists joined forces with al-Qaida-linked group JNIM in attacks on Kidal, a town outside Bamako, and three other cities on Saturday, according to JNIM and Ramadan. 'This operation is being carried out in partnership with the JNIM, which is also committed to defending the people against the military regime in Bamako,' Ramadan said.

The separatists called on Russia to reconsider its support for the military junta in Mali. m. m. was announced for the Bamako district following the attacks.

The 16 wounded included civilians and military personnel, and several militants were killed, Coulibaly stated. The Economic Community of West African States condemned the attacks on Saturday and called for united efforts to combat the scourge. Military coups occurred in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

The juntas in those countries turned to Russia for help combating Islamic militants after the coups. An al-Qaida-linked group claimed an attack on Bamako’s airport and a military training camp in 2024, killing scores of people. A suicide attacker drove a car laden with explosives into Camara’s residence in Kati on Saturday, Coulibaly stated.

A firefight ensued at the residence after the car bomb, and Camara sustained injuries from which he died in a hospital, Coulibaly added. Mali will observe two days of mourning for Camara, Coulibaly announced. JNIM claimed responsibility for attacks on Bamako’s international airport and four other cities, including Kidal, on Saturday.

M. m. Junta leader General Assimi Goita has not been seen since the attacks began at dawn on Saturday.

The attacks were carried out by jihadist groups on Saturday, April 25, according to AllAfrica. The separatists have been fighting for years to create an independent state in northern Mali, while al-Qaida and Islamic State-aligned militants have battled the government for over a decade. The capture of Kidal in 2023 marked a significant victory for the junta and its Russian allies.

Wassim Nasr, a specialist for the region and senior research fellow at the Soufan Center, described the coordination between the groups and their joint acknowledgment of working together as a first on both military and political levels. Ulf Laessing, from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, stated that the attacks undermined the Malian junta's Russian partners, noting the mercenaries lacked intelligence about the assaults and failed to protect major cities.

The government has not provided a full death toll from the attacks.

Government forces have been accused of killing civilians suspected of collaborating with militants. The security situation in the region has worsened, with a record number of militant attacks in recent times. The attacks extended to military sites, including bases and an airport, in a bold operation against the military-led government, as reported by multiple sources.

Regional mechanisms and populations were urged to mobilize against the violence by ECOWAS.