Mali's defence minister Sadio Camara killedSadio Camara killed in coordinated jihadist and rebel attacks
Coordinated attacks by al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin and Tuareg separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front struck military sites across Mali on April 25-26, killing Defence Minister Sadio Camara at his home in Kati near Bamako. Rebels seized control of the northern city of Kidal after Russian Africa Corps mercenaries and Malian forces withdrew under an agreement, while fighting hit towns like Gao and Sevare.
The assaults threaten Mali's military junta, which relies on Russian support after expelling French forces, and signal a rare alliance between former rival jihadists and separatists. West Africa's regional bloc condemned the violence and urged unified action, as the instability risks spreading beyond Mali's borders.
- General Sadio Camara was born on March 22, 1979, rising through Mali's military ranks before his 2021 appointment.
- Kati, 15 km northwest of Bamako, serves as a fortified garrison housing junta leaders.
- Tuareg rebellions in Mali's north date to 1963, marking the first major uprising for autonomy.
