Malian Authorities Confirm Death of Defense Minister in Terrorist Attack

Mali's transitional government has confirmed the death of the Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs, General Sadio Camara, following a terrorist attack on his residence, according to a government communiqué in the possession of African Initiative.

According to the statement, on the morning of April 25, a car bomb driven by a suicide bomber was directed at the minister's residence.

"The general engaged the attackers and managed to neutralize some of them. During the fierce clash, he was wounded and taken to the hospital, where he unfortunately succumbed to his injuries," the statement said.

The collapse of the residence led to additional casualties. A nearby mosque was also destroyed, killing believers who were inside.

The transitional president of Mali, Assimi Goïta, and the government expressed condolences to the family of the deceased minister, as well as to all civilians and military personnel who died during the jihadist attacks on April 25.

The communiqué emphasized that Camara "was always distinguished by his courage, fearlessness, humanism, high professionalism, and significant service to national defense."

The authorities also announced that the deceased minister would be accorded state honors. The date of the national funeral will be announced later.

On the morning of April 25, Mali's capital Bamako and several regional centers came under attack. Later, the country's two main terrorist groups — the Tuareg separatists of the Azawad Liberation Front and the Al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadists of JNIM — announced the start of a joint large-scale offensive against government forces.

By midday, the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa), together with Russian military personnel, repelled the militants' attacks. Later, sources from African Initiative reported that clashes on the outskirts of Bamako had ceased. In the evening, the Malian authorities issued an official communiqué stating that the situation was fully under control.

In the Sahel region, affiliates of the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda have been active for more than a decade, destabilizing the situation in Mali and its neighbors Burkina Faso and Niger.