Mali junta offers $3.5 million reward for information on Al-Qaeda affiliate leader

Mali’s ruling military junta has announced a $3.5 million reward for information leading to the arrest or killing of Iyad Ag Ghaly, the head of the Sahel branch of al-Qaeda, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), following a major escalation in violence earlier this year.

Ghaly, who leads JNIM, is one of the most wanted figures in the Sahel region and is also sought by multiple countries, as well as the United States and the International Criminal Court (ICC). The group is the largest Islamist organization operating against military-led governments in the region, DW reports.

In April, JNIM reportedly joined forces with Tuareg rebels to carry out what has been described as the largest coordinated attacks against Mali’s government in over a decade. The assaults resulted in multiple casualties, including the death of Defence Minister Sadio Camara.

The Malian Security Ministry said it is offering 2 billion CFA francs (approximately $3.5 million) for information leading to the “capture or neutralization” of Ghaly, according to an order signed by Security and Civil Protection Minister Major General Daoud Aly Mohammedine.

The ministry also announced a $2.5 million reward for information on Ghaly’s deputy, Amadou Kouffa, along with additional bounties targeting other figures, including Tuareg separatist leader Alghabass Ag Intalla.

JNIM is active across the Sahel, where Islamist militant and separatist groups continue to operate amid long-running instability.

Mali has been governed by a military junta since a 2020 coup and has faced persistent extremist violence and separatist insurgencies for more than 15 years.

By Sabina Mammadli