Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
Sadio Camara (born 1979) is a Malian
military officer
An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service.
Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent contex ...
currently serving as Minister of Defence, who took active part in the
2020 Malian coup d'état
On 18 August 2020, elements of the Malian Armed Forces began a mutiny. Soldiers on pick-up trucks stormed the Soundiata military base in the town of Kati, where gunfire was exchanged before weapons were distributed from the armory and senior o ...
along with Colonel
Assimi Goïta
Colonel Assimi Goïta (born 1983) is a Malian military officer who has been interim President of Mali since 28 May 2021. Goïta was the leader of the , a military junta that seized power from former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in the 20 ...
that ousted the government of
Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta
Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (; 29 January 1945 – 16 January 2022), often known by his initials IBK, was a Malian politician who served as the president of Mali from September 2013 to August 2020, when he was forced to resign in the 2020 Malian cou ...
.
He served as Minister of Defense between October 2020 and May 2021 when he was replaced. This prompted a new coup and he was reinstated as Minister of Defense on 11 June 2021, serving again in the charge since then.
Biography
Camara is a graduate of the Joint Military School. At the time of the 2020 coup he was serving as head of the Kati Military School, and was receiving military training in Russia. Camara took part in the August 2020 coup and was named Minister of Defense in October 2020 under the interim government of Prime Minister
Moctar Ouane
Moctar Ouane (born 11 October 1955) is a Malian diplomat and politician who served as the acting Prime Minister of Mali from 27 September 2020 to 24 May 2021, between the 2020 Malian coup d'état and the 2021 Malian coup d'état. He also previo ...
. He served in that position until late May 2021 when he was excluded from the newly formed government by
Bah Ndaw
Bah Ndaw (also spelled N'Daw, N'Dah, and N'Daou; born 23 August 1950) is a Malian military officer and politician who served as the president of Mali between 25 September 2020 and 24 May 2021 when he was overthrown during the 2021 Malian coup d' ...
, the interim leader after the 2020 coup.
His ousting allegedly prompted Colonel
Assimi Goïta
Colonel Assimi Goïta (born 1983) is a Malian military officer who has been interim President of Mali since 28 May 2021. Goïta was the leader of the , a military junta that seized power from former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in the 20 ...
to launch a "coup within a coup" in May 2021 when Goïta took over power and ordered the arrest of Ndaw and his cabinet during the
2021 Malian coup d'état
The 2021 Malian coup d'état began on the night of 24 May 2021 when the Malian Army led by Vice President Assimi Goïta captured President Bah N'daw, Prime Minister Moctar Ouane and Minister of Defence Souleymane Doucouré. Assimi Goïta, the ...
, which prompted the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...
and many governments to condemn the coup and ask for the release of the detained leaders.
On 11 June 2021, Col. Goïta appointed Camara again as Minister of the Defense.