Once a Tuareg rebel and a former Malian diplomat, Iyad Ag Ghaly now heads the JNIM (Support Group for Islam and Muslims), an alliance formed in 2017.
Wanted by authorities across the Sahel, Ag Ghaly faces sanctions from the United Nations, appears on the U.S. terrorist list, and holds an International Criminal Court warrant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The country is grappling with severe security challenges following coordinated attacks on April 25 and 26, carried out by JNIM jihadists in alliance with the predominantly Tuareg Front for the Liberation of Azawad (FLA).
These unprecedented strikes targeted key positions held by the military leadership in Bamako, including the death of Defence Minister Sadio Camara, a 47-year-old figure central to the ruling junta, who was killed in a suicide bombing.
A government announcement broadcast on national television revealed rewards for several key figures. Among them, JNIM leader Amadou Kouffa is offered a bounty of 2.2 million euros, alongside two FLA commanders, Alghabass Ag Intalla and Bilal Ag Cherif.
The statement from the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection states: “A financial reward will be granted to any individual providing reliable, actionable intelligence leading to the arrest or neutralization of the following wanted persons.”
It continues: “These individuals are actively sought for their suspected roles in planning, organizing, and executing terrorist acts that have endangered lives and property across the nation.”
Since 2012, Mali has been embroiled in a deepening security crisis, fueled by violence from groups like JNIM, the Islamic State, and local criminal factions.
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