Mali’s leader, Assimi Goita, will assume the additional role of defence minister, according to a decree read on state TV on Monday, after the death of the previous minister in large-scale attacks.
Mali recently faced a major security threat after an assault on military strongholds by Tuareg separatists and Al Qaeda-linked terrorists, during which Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed by a car bomb at his residence.
The coordinated attacks marked the largest assault in the West African country in nearly 15 years.
The fierce fighting at various locations, including around the capital, Bamako, resulted in the deaths of at least 23 people.
United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said on Friday that civilians and children were among the dead and injured.
