The head of the junta in Mali, Assimi Goïta, strengthens his power by taking on the role of Minister of Defense.

Sadio Camara, 47, a key figure in the junta, was killed in Kati, a stronghold of the junta near the capital, Bamako, during attacks that targeted several major cities. The head of the junta in Mali, Assimi Goïta, has strengthened his powers and now combines the roles of president and defense minister, replacing Sadio Camara who was killed on April 25 during unprecedented attacks by jihadists and Tuareg independence rebels against the weakened military regime.

Mali is facing a critical security situation and uncertainty after coordinated large-scale attacks led by jihadists from the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (JNIM, an al-Qaeda ally) and the rebellion of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), dominated by Tuaregs, against strategic positions of the junta in power in Bamako. Several cities and towns in northern Mali are now under the control of jihadists and their FLA allies.

Assimi Goïta will be assisted in this new role by General Oumar Diarra. After the death of Camara, Goïta decided to strengthen his control over the army. He now “assumes the functions of Minister of Defense and Veterans,” according to a decree read on ORTM by a presenter, nine days after Camara’s death. Diarra, the former chief of staff of the armed forces, will serve as “minister delegate to the Minister of Defense and Veterans,” according to a separate decree also read on ORTM.

The jihadists have continued their offensive on the ground, taking control of the military camp of Tessalit in the north on Friday after it was evacuated by the Malian army and their Russian allies, according to local, security, and independence sources. Tessalit, near the Algerian border, is a strategic camp due to its geographic location. On April 30, JNIM jihadists called for a “common front” to “end the junta” for a “peaceful and inclusive transition.”