By aljazeera
Africa-Press. Mali is facing a historic turning point—the most dangerous since the 2020 coup—as the ruling military authority finds itself under unprecedented coordinated attacks that resulted in the killing of the Minister of Defense, along with conflicting reports about the fall of the strategic city of Kidal into the hands of the Azawad Liberation Front, amid a mysterious silence from the head of the ruling military council, Assimi Goïta.
A strike at the heart of “Kati”
Incoming reports confirm that Mali’s Minister of Defense, General Sadio Camara (47), was killed in a suicide attack targeting his residence in the town of Kati (15 km north of Bamako). According to a government statement broadcast on state television, a suicide bomber driving a car packed with explosives rammed the minister’s house, triggering intense armed clashes.
Sources indicate that Camara personally engaged the attackers and managed to neutralize some of them before being wounded; he later died from his injuries in hospital. The explosion completely destroyed his home, and reports indicate that members of his family were killed, including his second wife, according to some accounts.
Camara was not just a minister—he was the most influential figure in the military council after Assimi Goïta. His importance can be summarized as follows:
Architect of the Russian alliance: Camara was considered the main architect of Bamako’s rapprochement with Moscow. He oversaw the deployment of Wagner fighters (now rebranded as the “Africa Corps”), was trained in Russian military academies, and was known as a “hawk” who pushed for a break with France and international forces.
Engine of military operations: He was the driving force behind the Malian army’s offensive strategy, including the “recapture of Kidal” in November 2023, which the regime promoted as a major symbolic victory.
Political pillar of the council: As a member of the “hard core” of officers behind the 2020 coup, Camara was a guarantor of stability within the military power structure. His killing represents “a strike at the heart of the regime,” depriving it of one of the key pillars that shaped Mali’s new sovereign policy.
Analyses suggest that Camara’s absence opens a “zone of uncertainty” regarding the future of the alliance with Russia, as he served as the direct link to Moscow.
His killing in Kati—one of the most heavily secured areas—also reveals a major security breach that weakens the image of the military council, which had promised security and stability.
Malian authorities declared two days of national mourning, with flags flown at half-mast over official buildings in recognition of Camara’s role as a pillar of the regime.
While the government spokesperson offered condolences to “all civilian and military victims” of the coordinated attacks targeting six locations across the country, the official statement avoided giving a final death toll, merely noting “limited casualties and material damage,” and emphasized that the late minister would be given a “state funeral.”
The fate of the leadership
The fate of the head of the military council, General Assimi Goïta, remains the subject of widespread questions, given his complete absence from the scene since the attacks began.
Security sources (according to Radio France Internationale and Agence France-Presse) indicate that he was evacuated from his residence in Kati during the day on Saturday and transferred under the protection of his personal guard to a “safe location,” believed to be a special forces camp on the outskirts of Bamako.
Despite the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims claiming to have targeted his residence, Goïta has not appeared or delivered any statement—silence that analysts and diplomats have described as “unusual” and concerning given the scale of the crisis.
At the same time, reports from security sources indicate that several senior military leaders were directly injured during the attacks on Kati:
General Modibo Koné: Head of state intelligence and one of the most powerful figures in the military council; sources including Le Monde and Le Figaro reported he was seriously wounded during the attack on command headquarters in Kati.
General Oumar Diarra: Chief of the General Staff; security reports indicate he was shot during Saturday’s clashes. Although he later appeared on state television to issue a statement, sources say both he and Koné were among the direct targets of coordinated assassination attempts.
The impact was not limited to Malian leadership but extended to their Russian partners. In the city of Kidal, sources revealed that field commanders of the “Africa Corps” (formerly Wagner) agreed with Azawad Liberation Front rebels to withdraw from the besieged MINUSMA camp.
Reports confirmed the evacuation of at least 400 Russian personnel under Tuareg rebel escort toward Tessalit, reflecting a collapse in field-level coordination between the Malian army and its Russian allies in strategic areas.
According to multiple media analyses, the military regime lost part of its “hard core” within hours—the same group that led the 2020 coup.
With one killed (Camara), others wounded (Koné and Diarra), and another out of sight (Goïta), the military council is experiencing an unprecedented level of disruption. This has opened the door for opposition forces—such as the alliance led by Imam Mahmoud Dicko—to call for the immediate resignation of the military council and the formation of an alternative transitional authority.
From his place of exile in Algeria, Imam Mahmoud Dicko, speaking on behalf of the “Alliance of Forces for the Republic,” declared that Mali is now “in danger” following the سقوط of key state figures, calling for the immediate resignation of the military council and a comprehensive civilian transition.
Reports indicate growing alignment between the political opposition led by Dicko and armed groups on the ground, united by the goal of toppling the military regime and building a new political alternative, taking advantage of the current security “instability” and the loss of confidence in the Russian ally, which appears unable to protect its strongholds.
A test for the Sahel alliance
In addition, the Alliance of Sahel States faces its most severe existential test since its creation, as the recent attacks exposed the fragility of joint defense coordination between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
Despite mutual defense treaties, both allies (Niger and Burkina Faso) remained largely silent during the peak of the attacks on Bamako and Kati.
The alliance’s secretariat issued only a statement condemning what it described as a “brutal conspiracy” backed by enemies of Sahel liberation, without providing tangible military support on the ground to rescue the alliance’s core stronghold in Mali.
Source: Al jazeera
