Mali has been thrown into renewed turmoil following the killing of its Defence Minister, Sadio Camara, in a deadly attack on his residence, as government forces battled jihadist fighters and separatist rebels across multiple regions.
According to family sources and officials, Camara died alongside his second wife and two grandchildren after a car bomb exploded at his home in Kita, a stronghold of the ruling junta located outside the capital, Bamako.
The attack came amid a wave of coordinated assaults carried out on Saturday by Tuareg rebels of the Azawad Liberation Front and jihadist fighters linked to the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims.
The offensive targeted several locations across the country, marking one of the most intense escalations of violence in recent years.
Fighting continued into Sunday in key areas including Kita, as well as the northern cities of Kidal, Gao and Severe, with reports of ongoing gunfire and military activity.
Amid the chaos, Tuareg rebel leaders claimed they had reached an agreement allowing Malian troops and allied Russian forces to withdraw from parts of Kidal, a historically strategic region.
Witnesses reported seeing military convoys leaving the area, while armed groups moved in to take control of the city.
Kidal has long been a contested territory and was recaptured by Malian forces in 2023 with support from Russian-backed forces, ending more than a decade of rebel dominance.
Security sources suggested the latest attacks were less about holding territory and more about executing coordinated strikes to destabilise the government and symbolically reclaim key regions like Kidal.
The Malian government, however, maintained that the situation remained under control, stating that casualties included at least 16 wounded civilians and soldiers, with only limited material damage reported.
Residents in and around Bamako described a tense atmosphere, with access to military facilities restricted and heightened security presence across the city.
In districts such as Senou, near the airport, witnesses recounted scenes of heavy clashes and lingering fear.
“I still hear the blasts ringing in my ears. It’s traumatising,” one resident said, reflecting widespread anxiety among civilians.
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International reactions have also followed swiftly. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, condemned the attacks and called for coordinated global efforts to address the growing threat of extremism in the Sahel region.
Similarly, the European Union denounced the violence, describing the incidents as terrorist attacks.
Mali has faced over a decade of insurgency and instability driven by jihadist groups and separatist movements.
However, analysts say the latest wave of attacks represents the most serious challenge to the ruling military government since it seized power in 2020.
The country’s security landscape has also shifted in recent years, with authorities strengthening ties with Russia while cutting military cooperation with former colonial power France and other Western nations.
As fighting persists and tensions escalate, concerns are growing over the humanitarian and security implications for the wider Sahel region.