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Mali has confirmed that its defense minister was killed in an apparent suicide truck bombing that targeted his residence near the capital, Bamako, on April 25, the first day of the large-scale offensive that al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), the separatist Tuareg Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) launched across the country.
State TV announced the death of Gen. Sadio Camara on April 26, saying he died of wounds received while engaging with the attackers.
Government spokesman Issa Ousmane Coulibaly read out a statement, saying Camara had been killed when “a vehicle laden with explosives and driven by a suicide attacker targeted the minister’s residence”.
It said he exchanged fire with the attackers and “succeeded in neutralising some of them”. However, he was wounded and later died from his injuries in hospital.
Quoting Camara’s family and French media, news agencies said the attack on Kati, the main military base located on the outskirts of Bamako, also killed at least three of Camara’s family members. The attack led to the collapse of Camara’s residence and the destruction of a nearby mosque, where a number of worshippers were also killed.
According to other reports, the residence of the head of Mali’s military government, Gen. Assimi Goita, was also targeted. He survived, however, and was moved to a safe location.
Fighting continue in Kati, as well as in the cities Gao and Kidal in the north, and the central cities of Sevare and Mopti. The FLA is primarily focused in the north, while JNIM has staged simultaneous attacks on multiple locations across the country.
On April 26, a fierce battle took place in Kidal, with FLA spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane announcing later that “an agreement was reached between the Azawad forces and the Russian elements of the Africa Corps with a view to ensuring their secure withdrawal from the fighting.”
In a later statement, the spokesman said the Africa Corps were “permanently withdrawing from Kidal” and “Kidal is now free”.
Kidal served as an unofficial headquarters of the FLA for more than a decade before it was captured by the Malian military with Russian support more than two years ago.
JNIM declared just a day earlier that it had taken “full control” of Mopti and Bourem, which is located in the northwest of the country.
Meanwhile, both Sévaré and Gao are under split militant-government control. The first is being attacked by JNIM, while the second is being attacked by the FLA.
The two groups can be described as unlikely allies. JNIM seeks to replace established state authority with a conservative interpretation of Islamic law, while the FLA was founded by several Tuareg movements based on its demands for the independence or autonomy of Azawad.
Click to see full-size map.
Click to see full-size map.
While the militants managed to achieve initial success, this came with a heavy cost. Strikes by the Malian Air Force and the aviation of the Africa Corps inflicted some serious losses on both JNIM and the FLA. Malian troops also appear to be holding their ground for the time being, and could soon go on a counteroffensive.
Military commanders took power in Mali after coups in 2020 and 2021, vowing to restore security in the country where militants control large areas in the north and center. Under the leadership of Goita, Mali moved away from France, and built strong relations with both Russia and Turkey. The military government has been also pursuing closer ties with the United States.
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this armed group has nothing in common with muslims. killing a few of their own kind and thinking nothing of it is a dead givaway. this group most probably got their training in syria before nato armed them proper and then sent them to africa. if the african nations do not want to look like libya, syria, iraq, in a few years then they best get cracking. africa has friends and it should call on them.
religion is always used as a skirt for war mafias to hide behind for press manipulation
more americunt trannies like vanya desperate to swallow african jizz
what’s with the feedback manipulation again – why 11 thumbs up for all? what’s the significance of 11? numerology? satanic?
i admits aids diagnosis
all the motorcycles got nice mag wheels somebody got a volume discount
empire has sent al queda to challenge and overthrow mali independence. france has lost its colony and wants to steal it back. all central banker war pirates will assist al queda in this task. is uranium involved ?
same old cia play book. kill the leadership, install a new government play monopoly.
yes. but remember that al qaeda (jnim) also paved the way for the goita coup and the expulsion of france. they’re not a new actor at all and the main handler is turkey.
it’s very probably mali gold that the french admin is missing.
extremely worrisome, especially if the claims by jnim (al qaeda) of capturing mopti are confirmed.
this african conflict is following the predictable pattern that african conflicts have followed, so nothing will surprise me.