Mali’s military rulers in crisis as defence minister is killed in massive coordinated attacks

Mali’s military rulers faced a security crisis on Sunday after coordinated nationwide attacks by jihadist fighters and separatist rebels this weekend killed the defence minister and reportedly left a key northern town in rebel hands. There was no word from the junta leader General Assimi Goita, who has not been seen since the attacks began at dawn on Saturday. The offensive, synchronised by Tuareg rebels of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) coalition and the jihadist Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), targeted several areas in the vast arid country. Analysts said the coordinated attacks were the most serious challenge to the country’s rulers since the March 2012 offensive that was repelled by the intervention of French forces, who have since left. Government troops were still fighting in some parts of the country, but the loss of Defence Minister Sadio Camara on Saturday represented a serious blow to the administration. Camara, his second wife and two of his grandchildren died after a car-bomb attack on his home in the junta stronghold of Kati, outside Bamako, his family and an official said. There was still fighting on Sunday in several areas, including Kati, Kidal, Gao and Severe. Tuareg rebels told Agence France-Presse they had reached an agreement allowing Russian Africa Corps forces backing Mali’s army to withdraw from the northern city of Kidal, which they claimed was “totally” under their control. “We saw a military convoy leave, but don’t know the details of what’s happening. Fighters from armed movements have now taken over the streets,” said one resident. Mali’s army had recaptured Kidal, a Tuareg stronghold, in November 2023 with the help of Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group, ending more than a decade of control by rebels. The FLA, made up of mainly Tuareg groups who want independence for Azawad, a territory in northern Mali, also said it had taken positions in the northern Gao region. Mali has been ravaged for more than a decade by conflict and jihadist violence but Saturday’s attacks were the worst since 2020, when the junta seized power. The situation in Sevare, central Mali, where gunfire could still be heard, remained “confused”, said one local official. While there has been no word from or sighting of junta chief Goita, a Malian security source said that he was in a safe place. On Sunday, calm had returned to Kati, where the defence minister was killed a day before. “The jihadists left the area, but we are living in fear,” one resident told Agence France-Presse. The international airport, just outside Bamako, was operating again after heavy fighting on Saturday in the outlying district of Senou. “I still hear the blasts ringing in my ears. It’s traumatising,” said one resident. In the capital Bamako, troops had blocked access to military facilities using barriers and tyres on the roads. The fighting wounded 16 civilians and soldiers, causing “limited material damage”, the government said in a statement on Saturday evening, adding that “the situation is totally under control in all the localities”. The opposition Coalition of Forces for the Republic (CFR), said in a statement that Mali was “in danger”. The junta had “promised Malians security, stability and the return of the State”, it said. After the weekend offensive, no one could seriously claim that Mali was either pacified or secure, it said. United Nations chief Antonio Guterres condemned “acts of violence” in Mali, his spokesman said in a statement. “The Secretary General calls for coordinated international support to address the evolving threat of violent extremism and terrorism in the Sahel and to meet urgent humanitarian needs,” Stephane Dujarric said. The European Union condemned the “terrorist attacks” in Mali. Russian state-run broadcaster Vesti reported on Sunday that Russia’s Africa Corps, which has taken over from the mercenary Wagner Group in helping Malian forces fight jihadists, was repelling a large-scale militant attack on Mali’s government. According to Vesti, Russian personnel were responding along with units of Mali’s Presidential Guard and armed forces, preventing the presidential palace from being seized. Vesti said some members of Russia’s Africa Corps were wounded, without providing further details. Mali has resources including gold and other valuable minerals. Mali’s rulers, like their military counterparts in neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso, have severed ties with former colonial ruler France and several Western countries, moving closer to Russia. Additional reporting by Reuters

Mali’s military rulers in crisis as defence minister is killed in massive coordinated attacks

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Rebel-jihadist offensive leaves Bamako on edge as territory falls and junta leader Assimi Goita remains out of sight

Rebel-jihadist offensive leaves Bamako on edge as territory falls and junta leader Assimi Goita remains out of sight