Les jihadists, allied with Tuareg separatists, launched unprecedented coordinated attacks on the junta in power on Saturday. Fighting continued on Sunday near the capital, Bamako, and in the northern region of the country, in the Sahelian zone. The Minister of Defense is among the victims.
Mali is still shaken by fighting that targeted several cities in the country on Sunday, April 26, including the capital Bamako. Jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), affiliated with Al-Qaeda, launched unprecedented coordinated attacks on Saturday with Tuareg separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) against the ruling junta. The Malian army, supported by Russian mercenaries from Africa Corps, retaliated. Here is what we know about the situation on the ground.
Unprecedented coordinated attacks by jihadists and Tuareg rebels
The clashes pit the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa), supported by mercenaries from the Russian paramilitary organization Africa Corps, against jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), affiliated with Al-Qaeda. Active for several years in the center and north of the country, this jihadist group has been waging an insurgency against the Malian state and has notably increased attacks on military positions.
For these attacks, the JNIM jihadists allied with Malian Tuareg rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). This separatist group was formed in November 2024, following the dissolution of a coalition of independent armed groups. It claims the Azawad territory in the north of the country. The group lost control of several localities at the end of 2023 after an offensive by the Malian army and Russian mercenaries, resulting in the capture of Kidal.
Mali has been plagued by jihadist conflicts and violence for over a decade, but since the junta took power in 2020, attacks by jihadists and Tuareg rebels have been unprecedented, according to AFP.
A government minister among the victims
The Malian Minister of Defense, Sadio Camara, was killed in the attack on his residence in Kati, near Bamako. His death was confirmed on Sunday evening by the Transitional Government of Mali, linking it to the “cowardly terrorist incidents” that occurred on Saturday.
“A booby-trapped vehicle driven by a suicide bomber targeted the residence of said minister, who engaged in an exchange with assailants, managing to neutralize some of them. During intense clashes, he was injured, then transported to the hospital, where he unfortunately succumbed,” reads a statement.
“In addition, the collapse of his residence caused other victims and the destruction of a nearby mosque, leading to the death of some faithful inside,” also reported the Malian authorities.
Context: The article provides a detailed account of the deadly clashes between Malian forces, jihadist groups, and Tuareg rebels in Mali.
Fact Check: The content accurately reports the clashes in Mali involving jihadists, Tuareg rebels, and government forces, resulting in significant casualties, including the Minister of Defense.
