Tuareg rebels in northern Mali say they have taken full control of the strategic city of Kidal after forcing the withdrawal of Russian fighters, as officials confirmed the death of Defence Minister General Sadio Camara in a separate attack near the capital.
Clashes resumed on Sunday in Kidal between Malian forces, backed by Russian mercenaries from the Africa Corps, and Tuareg rebels aligned with an al-Qaeda-linked group. Rebel sources later said an “agreement” had been reached allowing Malian troops and their Russian allies to withdraw from the city.
A rebel commander told AFP the deal allowed the army and Africa Corps fighters to leave a military base where they had been holding out since Saturday. A resident said a military convoy was seen leaving, adding that armed groups are now deployed across the city.
The developments come amid a wider escalation across Mali, with coordinated attacks targeting multiple locations over the weekend.
In a separate incident, Defence Minister General Sadio Camara was killed on Saturday in an attack on his residence in Kati, near Bamako. According to relatives, a government source and military officials, Camara died alongside his second wife and two young children when a car bomb struck his home.
“In the Kati attack, Minister Camara was killed with his second wife and two small children,” a family member said. A government source described his death as a major loss, saying he had “fallen on the field of honour.”
The attack was part of a coordinated operation by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate, alongside Tuareg rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). The groups targeted sites near Bamako as well as several major cities.
The Azawad Liberation Front, which seeks independence for northern Mali, said it had taken control of Kidal following heavy fighting. The city, long a stronghold of Tuareg rebellion, was recaptured by Malian forces in November 2023 with support from Russian Wagner fighters.
A Tuareg spokesperson said clashes resumed early Sunday as fighters sought to expel the last remaining Russian forces who had retreated into a military camp. A local official confirmed ongoing gunfire, with residents reporting continued fighting between government troops, Russian fighters and rebel groups.
Rebels also claimed advances in parts of the Gao region, suggesting the offensive may be widening across northern Mali.
There has been no immediate official response from the Malian government regarding the reported withdrawal from Kidal or the full circumstances of Camara’s death.
