Mali mourns slain minister amid worsening security crisis..

Mali held a tightly guarded tribute on Thursday for assassinated defence minister Sadio Camara, days after coordinated attacks by jihadists and Tuareg separatists deepened a growing security crisis.

Thousands attended the ceremony in the capital, including junta leader Assimi Goita, as soldiers enforced strict security with checkpoints and roadblocks across Bamako.

Camara died in a car bomb attack on Saturday at his residence in Kati, a key military base near Bamako that houses senior junta officials.

He was widely seen as a central figure in Mali’s shift towards closer military and political ties with Russia following a break with former colonial power France.

Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga said Camara had helped define the country’s defence priorities and described him as loyal to the public interest, while family members paid tribute to him as a devoted relative.

A military parade followed the ceremony, with funeral rites scheduled later in the day.

The killing came after large-scale weekend attacks by militants linked to the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims and separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front, which targeted key military positions including Kati.

At least 23 people have been reported killed in the violence, which has raised concerns over the stability of the junta and its control over northern regions, where militants have advanced and taken strategic areas such as Kidal.

Mali, along with Niger and Burkina Faso, has formed the Alliance of Sahel States after distancing itself from Western allies and strengthening regional and security cooperation.