Malis President Goita Appoints New Defence Minister After Ministers Death

Mali’s Military Government Appoints New Defence Minister Following Death of Previous Minister

Assimi Goita, the leader of Mali’s military government, has taken on the role of defence minister following the killing of Sadio Camara, the previous minister, in a recent uprising by rebel groups. According to state television channel ORTM, Goita was appointed as defence minister after Camara’s death in a car bomb blast at his residence.

The presidential decree announced Goita’s appointment, which also stated that he would remain president. General Oumar Diarra, who served as military chief of staff, has been appointed as delegate minister to the defence ministry.

Last week, rebel groups carried out large-scale attacks on strongholds of the military government, capturing the key northern town of Kidal in the largest attack in the country in nearly 15 years. The fighting resulted in at least 23 deaths, with civilians and children among those killed or injured.

Mali has been experiencing security crises since at least 2012. Al-Qaeda-linked groups, including Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the ISIL (ISIS) affiliate in Sahel Province (ISSP), control large areas of rural territory, particularly in the north and central regions.

Armed Tuareg separatists from the Liberation Front for Azawad (FLA) group are also fighting for an independent nation called Azawad. They have been battling Mali’s military and allied Russian mercenaries who have been deployed since 2021.

The latest attacks were carried out by JNIM, which worked with FLA against the army. Goita’s military government took power after coups in 2020 and 2021, pledging to restore security, but has struggled to achieve that goal. The group has cut ties with its former colonial ruler, France, and expelled French forces and United Nations peacekeeping missions.

In July, military authorities granted coup leader Goita a five-year presidential mandate, which can be renewed “as many times as necessary” without an election. Russia’s Wagner Group, which had been aiding Malian forces against armed groups since 2021, has now become the Africa Corps, an organisation under the direct control of the Russian defence ministry.

Source: Al Jazeera