Mali is facing its most serious security crisis in years after a massive coordinated attack left the country’s defense minister dead and several towns in rebel hands. General Sadio Camara was killed when a suicide bomber and armed assailants targeted his residence in a sweeping assault that struck the capital, Bamako, and multiple cities simultaneously. In an unprecedented shift, the Tuareg-led separatist group Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and the jihadi group JNIM joined forces for the first time, exposing major intelligence failures by Malian forces and their Russian allies. As fighting intensified, rebels claimed control of the strategic city of Kidal, forcing government and Russian-backed forces to withdraw. Although authorities say the attacks have subsided, the violence raises concerns about regional stability and the effectiveness of Mali’s shifting security partnerships.
AP
