(SINL NIGERIA) Mali has been plunged into fresh turmoil following the death of its Defence Minister, Sadio Camara, in a deadly attack on his residence, as fighting intensifies across several parts of the country.
Family sources confirmed on Sunday that Camara, alongside his second wife and two grandchildren, died after a car bomb detonated at his home in Kati, a military stronghold located just outside the capital, Bamako.
The attack formed part of a wave of coordinated assaults launched on Saturday by Tuareg separatists under the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and jihadist fighters linked to the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims.
The offensives targeted multiple locations, including Kati, Kidal, Gao, and other areas, marking one of the most significant escalations in violence in recent years.
Clashes continued into Sunday, with reports of renewed fighting in several regions. In Kidal, a key northern stronghold, Tuareg rebels claimed full control following an agreement allowing Malian troops and their Russian allies to withdraw from a military camp.
Residents reported seeing military convoys leaving the area as armed groups took over the streets, signaling a potential shift in control. The city had previously been recaptured by government forces in 2023 with support from Russian mercenaries.
Security sources indicated that the coordinated attacks were aimed more at demonstrating strength and reclaiming symbolic territories like Kidal, rather than holding major urban centers.
Mali has endured over a decade of instability fueled by jihadist insurgency and separatist movements, but the latest attacks are considered the most severe since the military junta seized power in the 2020 Malian coup d’état.
Despite the scale of the assaults, the government stated that the situation remains under control, reporting at least 16 people injured and limited infrastructural damage.
In Bamako, security has been tightened around military installations, with access roads barricaded. Residents in affected districts described scenes of panic and lingering fear following the explosions and gunfire.
International reactions have been swift. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the violence and called for coordinated global support to address escalating extremism and humanitarian needs in the Sahel region.
The European Union also denounced the attacks, describing them as acts of terrorism.
Mali’s military government, which has distanced itself from Western allies including France, has increasingly relied on Russian support through forces linked to Moscow’s defence establishment.
The evolving alliances continue to reshape the geopolitical landscape of the conflict-ridden Sahel nation.
As tensions persist, the latest developments underscore growing security challenges facing Mali’s leadership and raise concerns about further instability in the region.
Source: AFP
