Mali’s Defence Minister Sadio Camara killed amid coordinated attacks

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:04:42 +0000

A large-scale coordinated attack by al-Qaeda-affiliated militants from JNIM (Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin) and Tuareg rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) struck multiple military sites across Mali on Saturday, with sources telling Al Jazeera that Defence Minister General Sadio Camara has been killed.
His residence in the heavily guarded garrison town of Kati, considered one of the most secure locations in the country, was destroyed by a suicide car bomb attack. As the attacks continue more than 24 hours after they began on Saturday morning, residents of Kati can still hear heavy gunfire and loud explosions, while violence has also spread to the northern towns of Kidal, Gao and Sevare, as well as the capital Bamako.
JNIM, which has been fighting the Bamako military junta for years, said the attacks were carried out in coordination with Tuareg rebels, describing them as the "most serious attacks launched against the junta in years."
Malian junta leader General Assimi Goita is said to be alive and in a secure location, but the loss of Camara — a key figure who orchestrated the pullout of French forces and the arrival of Russian mercenaries — has raised questions about the military's ability to remain in command.
A three-day overnight curfew has been imposed in Bamako, while the African Union has condemned the attacks and warned that civilians are at serious risk.

Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque reports from Dakar, Senegal.

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