Mali’s military government faced mounting pressure on Sunday after coordinated attacks by jihadist fighters and separatist rebels killed the defence minister and triggered fighting across several regions, officials and residents said.
The offensive, launched early on Saturday, involved Tuareg rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front and the Islamist group Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, targeting key locations in the vast West African country.
Defence Minister Sadio Camara died after a car bomb struck his residence in Kati, near the capital Bamako. The attack also killed members of his family.
The government said Camara succumbed to injuries sustained while confronting attackers and would be honoured with a national funeral.
Junta leader Assimi Goita has not been seen publicly since the assault began, although he is said to be in a secure location.
Cliqmetro gathered that clashes continued on Sunday in Kati as well as in the northern cities of Kidal and Gao and in Sevare in central Mali.
Tuareg fighters said they had taken full control of Kidal after Russian-backed forces withdrew, with residents reporting that armed groups had moved into the city following the departure of military convoys.
Malian forces had retaken Kidal in November 2023 with assistance from Russian Wagner mercenaries, ending more than a decade of rebel dominance. Rebel groups also claimed advances in parts of Gao, though there was no immediate confirmation from the army.
The coordinated assault was described as the most significant challenge to the authorities since the 2012 Mali conflict, which prompted French military intervention.
In Bamako, security forces blocked access to military sites, while the international airport resumed operations after clashes in the nearby district of Senou on Saturday.
The opposition Coalition of Forces for the Republic said the country was “in danger” and questioned the government’s claims of restoring stability.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres condemned the violence and called for international support to address growing security and humanitarian challenges.
The European Union also denounced the attacks. Mali has battled jihadist and separatist violence for more than a decade. Since seizing power in 2020, the military leadership has cut ties with France and strengthened cooperation with Russia, including support from the Africa Corps, which replaced the Wagner mercenary group.
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