Mali’s Defence Minister General Sadio Camara was killed on Saturday after a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle at his residence in the garrison town of Kati, near the capital Bamako, as coordinated attacks by armed militant groups struck multiple cities across the country in what analysts described as one of the most significant assaults on the Malian state in years.
Multiple sources confirmed the minister’s death to international media on Sunday. His second wife and family members also died in the attack. As of Sunday morning, the Malian government had not issued an official statement confirming his killing.
The assault was carried out by fighters from Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked militant group, fighting alongside Tuareg separatists of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). Kati, a heavily fortified military town approximately 15 kilometres northwest of Bamako, is also the residence of Interim President Assimi Goïta, who was moved to a secure location when the attack began and was confirmed alive and in command of the military.
In a statement issued Saturday evening, the government said the attacks struck garrison towns including Kati, Sevare, Gao and Kidal, as well as Bamako, leaving at least 16 people wounded. Civilians and military personnel were transferred to medical facilities.
The Malian army said security forces had killed several attackers and that the assault was designed to undermine the country’s defence system and spread panic. A 72-hour curfew was imposed in Bamako from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time, and alert levels were raised nationwide. Fresh fighting was reported in the Kidal region on Sunday, with search operations continuing.
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attacks. His spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the UN chief was calling for “coordinated international support to address the evolving threat of violent extremism and terrorism in the Sahel,” stressing the need to protect civilians and meet urgent humanitarian needs. The African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf also condemned the attacks and reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to peace and stability in Mali.
Camara, 47, was one of the most influential figures in Mali’s ruling military leadership, having played a central role in the 2020 and 2021 coups that brought the current junta to power. Analysts said his death represented a major blow to the military government at a moment of acute national crisis.
Mali has faced escalating instability in recent years, with JNIM and other armed groups operating across the country alongside a long-running Tuareg separatist movement in the north. The country is part of the Alliance of Sahel States alongside Burkina Faso and Niger, all three of which are currently governed by military juntas.
