2023 Nara ambush

Last updated
2023 Nara ambush
LocationNear Nara and the Wagadou Forest, Koulikoro Region, Mali
DateApril 18, 2023
Target Oumar Traore
Deaths4
Victims1 kidnapped (per Mali)
2 kidnapped (per JNIM)
PerpetratorIslamic State flag.svg Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin

On April 18, 2023, militants from Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin ambushed a car transporting Malian Chief of Staff Oumar Traore near Nara, Koulikoro Region, Mali, killing him and three other passengers. The ambush was one of the most high-profile assassinations of Malian political figures by JNIM.

Contents

Background

Nara has long been a site of jihadist activity in northern Mali, particularly by al-Qaeda affililates like Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin and it's predecessor Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. [1] While JNIM has historically targeted local leaders opposed to it's rule and influence, particularly in eastern Mali and the Dogon Country, there have been relatively few targeted killings of Malian political figures. [2] Oumar Traore was the Presidential Chief of Staff for Assimi Goïta, who had taken control of Mali in a coup in 2021. [3]

Ambush

At the time of the attack, Traore was traveling in a car with two drivers and the head of a drilling company while en route to a prospective drilling site near Nara and the Wagadou Forest. [3] [4] Malian authorities did not state how many cars were traveling in Traore's convoy, when they died, or who committed the attack. [3] Another driver in the car at the time of the attack was kidnapped. [5] In their statement on April 21, JNIM claimed responsibility for the attack, and claimed that they killed Traore and two members of the army, along with the capture of two hostages. [6]

References

  1. ↑ "Salafi-Jihadi Areas of Operation in the Sahel". Critical Threats. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  2. ↑ Eizenga, Daniel; Williams, Wendy (December 2020). "The Puzzle of JNIM and Militant Islamist Groups in the Sahel" (PDF). Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 "Senior Malian Official Among 4 Dead in Ambush in Jihadi Area". Voice of America. 2023-04-20. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  4. ↑ "Chief of staff of Mali junta leader among dead in attack near Mauritanian border". 2023-04-20. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  5. ↑ "Mali interim president's chief of staff and three others killed in ambush - govt". Reuters. 2023-04-20. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  6. ↑ "Al-Qaeda affiliate claims responsibility for attack that killed chief of staff of Mali junta leader". 2023-04-22. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
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