Iyad Ag Ghaly, a former Tuareg rebel and Mali’s former diplomat, now leads the JNIM (Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims), an alliance formed in 2017.
Recognized as the most wanted figure in the Sahel, Ag Ghaly faces sanctions from the United Nations. He is also listed as a terrorist by the United States and holds an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Malian government is confronting an escalating security crisis following unprecedented coordinated attacks on April 25 and 26. These assaults, carried out by JNIM jihadists in collaboration with the predominantly Tuareg Front de Libération de l’Azawad (FLA), targeted key military positions across multiple regions.
The offensive resulted in significant losses for the ruling junta in Bamako, including the death of Defense Minister Sadio Camara, a 47-year-old central figure in the transitional government, who was killed in a suicide bombing.
In response, authorities announced cash rewards for the capture or elimination of six key figures linked to these attacks. The rewards, announced via national television, include €2.2 million for Amadou Kouffa, another JNIM leader, as well as for Alghabass Ag Intalla and Bilal Ag Cherif, prominent members of the FLA.
The Ministry of Security and Civil Protection stated that the bounties are part of a broader counter-terrorism strategy to dismantle militant networks threatening national stability.
JNIM and other armed groups, including the so-called Islamic State affiliate and local criminal factions, have fueled Mali’s ongoing security breakdown since 2012.
