Mali Defence Minister Sadio Camara Killed in Attacks

Mali’s Defence Minister, General Sadio Camara, has been killed during coordinated attacks on military sites nationwide, sources told Al Jazeera.

The news on Sunday came the day after his residence in the garrison town of Kati came under attack during simultaneous attacks by an al-Qaeda affiliate and Tuareg rebels.

Camara was a central figure in the military government that seized power after back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021.

“He was one of the most influential figures within the ruling military leadership and had been seen by some as a possible future leader of Mali,” said Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque, who has reported extensively from Mali.

“His death is a major blow to the country’s armed forces.”

Haque said attackers carried out a suicide car bomb assault on Camara’s residence in Kati, a heavily fortified military town about 15km (9 miles) northwest of the capital, Bamako, where Interim President Assimi Goita also lives.

“Kati is considered one of the most secure locations in the country, yet fighters from the al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), along with Tuareg fighters from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), were able to launch the attack”.

Goita was “alive and well in a secure location”, Haque added.

“When the attack took place, he was moved to safety, so he remains in command of the military,” he said.