Mali’s Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga is calling on citizens “not to give in to panic” after coordinated attacks by jihadist fighters and Tuareg separatists led to the fall of the strategic northern town of Kidal and the death of the country’s defence minister.
After visiting the wounded in Kati, Maiga warned that the attackers aimed to “seize power by dismantling the institutions of the Republic.”
Speaking on national broadcaster ORTM, he insisted Mali would not be intimidated and said security forces were drawing lessons from the assault to strengthen defences.
Kidal seized in major blow to the junta
Jihadist groups and allied Tuareg separatists captured Kidal following two days of intense fighting.
The loss of the town — long a symbol of northern resistance — marks a significant setback for the military government.
Local officials confirmed that Malian troops and their Russian allies withdrew as fighters from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and the Al-Qaeda‑linked JNIM took control.
Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed in a car bomb attack on Saturday, and junta leader General Assimi Goita has not appeared publicly since the clashes began, fuelling uncertainty about the government’s stability.
Coordinated attacks shake the capital region
The weekend offensive targeted several strategic sites around Bamako and Kati.
Residents reported seeing military convoys leaving Kidal, while two loud blasts were heard near Bamako’s airport on Monday evening. The cause of the explosions has not yet been confirmed.
Tense calm in bamako and kati
Despite the upheaval, schools and offices reopened in the capital on Monday.
Checkpoints around key military sites were lifted, though heavily armed soldiers remained visible.
Only military aircraft were operating at Bamako’s airport.
A crisis reminiscent of 2012
Analysts say the attacks represent the most serious challenge to Mali’s state authority since the 2012 rebellion, which was pushed back with help from former colonial ruler France — whose forces have since withdrawn from the Sahel.
The opposition Coalition of Forces for the Republic warned that Mali is “in danger,” arguing that the junta’s promises of stability and security have been undermined by the scale of the weekend assault.