The operation in Kati, located 15 km north of Bamako, was part of a broader assault by the affiliate, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which coordinated with a Tuareg-led rebel group in what analysts and diplomats characterized as one of the most significant coordinated attacks in recent years.
A relative confirmed to Reuters that he had been killed, while a Malian journalist, identified as a brother-in-law of the defence minister, posted about his death on Facebook.
Neither a spokesperson for Mali’s defence ministry nor a government representative responded to requests for comment on Sunday. An armed forces statement noted that operations were ongoing in various regions of the country to counter the insurgents.
A Reuters witness reported gunfire in Kati on Sunday morning.
MAJOR SHOCK FOR MALI’S MILITARY LEADERS
The United Nations has called for an international response to the violence and terrorism plaguing West Africa’s Sahel region following Saturday’s attack, though authorities have yet to provide a death toll.
“The Secretary‑General is deeply concerned by reports of attacks in several locations across Mali. He strongly condemns these acts of violence,” a U.N. spokesperson posted on X.
If confirmed, Camara’s death would be a significant blow to Mali’s military leadership, stated Djenabou Cisse, an associate fellow at the Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS), which focuses on West African security.
The current government, led by Assimi Goita, came into power following coups in 2020 and 2021 and has sought closer relations with Russia while distancing itself from Western military support—a strategy that Camara endorsed.
“As a crucial figure in the junta and an architect of the Mali–Russia alliance, his removal would highlight JNIM’s ability to strike at the heart of state power,” Cisse remarked.
FATE UNCLEAR OF STRATEGIC CITY KIDAL
In addition to Kati, Saturday’s attacks targeted areas near Bamako airport and further north in localities like Mopti, Sevare, and Gao.
The status of the strategic city of Kidal, a former stronghold of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA)—the Tuareg group that collaborated with JNIM—remained uncertain on Sunday.
The FLA claimed in a statement that Kidal had fallen, and a spokesperson for the group announced on X that an agreement had been reached to allow Russian mercenaries to exit a besieged camp outside the city, where Malian armed forces were still entrenched.
However, a statement from Mali’s armed forces indicated that operations to repel the insurgents were still ongoing in Kidal and other areas.
Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel programme at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a German think tank, described the attack as a setback for Russia, which supported the military-led government after it expelled French, U.S., and other Western troops.
“For Russia, the attack has been a disaster,” Laessing noted. “They couldn’t prevent the fall of the highly symbolic Tuareg stronghold of Kidal and now need to withdraw from this northern city.”
GOVERNMENT HAD PROMISED TO DELIVER GREATER SECURITY
Russian state-run broadcaster Vesti reported on Sunday that the Russia’s Africa Corps was thwarting a large-scale Islamist offensive against Mali’s government.
As per Vesti, Russian personnel were engaged alongside units of Mali’s Presidential Guard and armed forces, protecting the presidential palace from being taken over.
Vesti mentioned that some Russian Africa Corps members sustained injuries, though it did not provide additional information.
Saturday’s assaults underscore the ongoing failure of Mali’s government to deliver enhanced security, despite previous promises.
In September 2024, JNIM attacked a gendarmerie training facility near Bamako airport, resulting in approximately 70 casualties. Recently, they effectively executed a fuel blockade that has left the capital’s residents and businesses deprived of power and supplies.
The government is now engaging in closer relations with Washington, aiming to revitalize security cooperation and explore mining opportunities.
Mali’s foreign minister told Reuters on Monday that neighboring countries and foreign powers were providing support to terrorist groups, yet he declined to specify which nations.
