![Malian Defence Minister Sadio Camara during the Moscow Conference on International Security, Russia, August 16, 2022 [Maxim Shipenkov/EPA]](https://angelnetworknews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/10941180-1777200075.webp "Malian Defence Minister Sadio Camara during the Moscow Conference on International Security, Russia, August 16, 2022 [Maxim Shipenkov/EPA]")
Mali’s Defence Minister General Sadio Camara has been killed in a coordinated series of attacks launched by al-Qaeda-linked militants and Tuareg rebels across multiple locations in the country.
The assaults, which began on Saturday, April 25, targeted military sites including Camara’s residence in the heavily fortified garrison town of Kati, about 15km northwest of the capital Bamako.
Al Jazeera correspondent Nicolas Haque, reporting from the region, described Camara as “one of the most influential figures within the ruling military leadership and had been seen by some as a possible future leader of Mali.” He added that “His death is a major blow to the country’s armed forces.”
The attacks involved fighters from the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and Tuareg rebels from the Liberation Front of Azawad. Despite Kati’s reputation as one of the most secure locations in Mali, the militants were able to strike Camara’s residence with a suicide car bomb.
Haque noted ongoing violence, stating: “As we speak, people in the garrison town of Kidal can still hear heavy gunfire and loud explosions.” He confirmed that Interim President Assimi Goïta “was moved to safety” and “remains in command of the military.”
Simultaneous assaults were reported in Bamako, Gao, Kidal and Sévaré, catching authorities off guard and exposing vulnerabilities in the junta’s control over the country following the 2020 and 2021 coups in which Camara played a prominent role.
The African Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the United States Bureau of African Affairs condemned the attacks.
Camara’s death represents a significant setback for Mali’s military government as it grapples with a resurgent jihadist insurgency and separatist unrest in the north. No immediate details on additional casualties or the full extent of damage were released by authorities.
The coordinated offensive has heightened concerns over stability in the Sahel region, where jihadist groups have intensified operations against government forces in recent months.
