Mali junta chief to take over killed defence minister's role

Mali's junta leader, Assimi Goita, will assume the additional role of defence minister, according to a decree announced on Monday, after the death of the previous minister in large-scale attacks.

Mali is facing a security crisis following an assault on junta strongholds led by Tuareg separatists and Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists more than a week ago, during which defence minister Sadio Camara was killed by a car bomb at his residence.

The separatists and jihadists were able to capture the key northern town of Kidal in their assault on multiple junta locations, in the largest attack in the west African country in nearly 15 years.

The fighting resulted in the death of at least 23 people, with the United Nations children's agency UNICEF reporting that civilians and children were among the dead and injured.

Militants from Al-Qaeda's branch in the Sahel region -- the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) -- joined forces with the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), an ethnic Tuareg separatist movement, in the attacks against the junta and its Russian mercenaries.

Goita, in his new role, will be assisted by General Oumar Diarra, according to a separate decree.

Diarra had been serving as military chief of staff but is now minister delegate to the minister of defence.

Both decrees were read out on public broadcaster ORTM.

'Cat and mouse'

In the wake of the attacks during the weekend of April 25-26, the militants had announced a blockade of the capital Bamako in retaliation for "the population's support of the army".

However, that blockade has only partially been effective, according to an AFP correspondent in the city.

"The jihadists are merely engaging in harassment," an officer in charge of patrolling the highway connecting the city of Kayes to Bamako told AFP.

"We haven't actually encountered them anywhere. They are playing cat and mouse with us but -- admittedly -- the population is panicking

A manager at a transport company that operates along the Bamako-Sikasso route said, however, that his firm had "suspended all departures for Bamako until further notice".

One person heading to Bamako from Segou told AFP of having travelled "with knots in our stomachs" but there was no major incident.

Another said some people were taking detours to avoid certain areas.