Defense Minister Sadio Camara was killed instantly on Saturday when his residence, located in the garrison town of Kati, was targeted by a car-ramming attack perpetrated by terrorists from JNIM affiliated with Al-Qaeda as well as by the Azawad Liberation Front.
These groups launched several simultaneous attacks in Bamako, Kidal, Gao, and Mopti, taking the Malian armed forces by surprise. According to some sources, one of his wives also died in the attack. Two of his grandchildren, who were at his home, were also killed.
Other civilians also lost their lives. This officer, highly regarded in Mali for his seriousness and discipline, was a central figure in the Malian transition led by General Assimi Goïta, who came to power following two consecutive coups in 2020 and 2021.
Born in 1979 in Kati, General Sadio Camara is a graduate of the Koulikoro Inter-Arms Military School (EMIA). After holding several high-ranking positions in the military hierarchy and receiving training in the United States, Russia, and China, he was, before the coups d'état, commander of the Kati Military Academy from 2016 to 2020.
