Mali's defence minister reported dead in major weekend assault

The UN urges global action against violence and terrorism after major attacks

Mali Defence Minister Sadio Camara, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (not pictured) and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mali Abdoulaye Diop (not pictured) enter a hall during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, Feb 28 2024. MAXIM SHIPENKOV/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Mali Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed in an attack by al Qaeda-linked group JNIM on his residence at the Kati military base outside Bamako on Saturday, France's RFI radio reported on Sunday.

Attacks continued on Sunday, a day after an al Qaeda affiliate and Tuareg rebels carried out one of the largest coordinated attacks in the country in recent years, as gunfire rang out in a garrison town near Mali's capital, a Reuters witness said.

The United Nations called for an international response to violence and terrorism in the West Africa Sahel region following Saturday's large-scale assaults.

"The Secretary‑General is deeply concerned by reports of attacks in several locations across Mali. He strongly condemns these acts of violence," a UN spokesperson posted on X.

An al Qaeda affiliate and Tuareg rebels claimed responsibility for the coordinated attacks around the capital, Bamako, in gold-producing areas and elsewhere across Mali, in one of the boldest operations insurgents have mounted in their campaign against the military-led government.

The final toll of deaths and injuries remained unclear on Sunday, as did the fate of the contested city of Kidal, which the insurgents claimed to have recaptured from government forces in the assault.