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Mali offers million-euro bounties for top jihadist leaders

By sahel-express / June 4, 2026

The hunt intensifies: Mali’s junta targets key figures in Sahel security crisis

Once a Tuareg rebel leader and later a Malian diplomat, Iyad Ag Ghaly has become the most wanted man across the Sahel region. As the head of the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM)—founded in 2017—he now faces global sanctions, including a United Nations designation and a International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Mali’s security situation has reached a critical juncture following coordinated jihadist attacks on April 25-26, executed jointly by JNIM fighters and the predominantly Tuareg Front de Libération de l’Azawad (FLA). These assaults, unprecedented in scale, targeted key military positions across multiple regions, including the assassination of the nation’s Defense Minister, Sadio Camara, aged 47, in a suicide bombing.

The Malian government has escalated its response by announcing financial rewards totaling millions of euros for information leading to the capture or elimination of high-profile militants. A televised statement from the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection outlined bounties for six individuals, including:

  • Amadou Kouffa, another prominent JNIM commander, with a reward of €2.2 million.
  • Alghabass Ag Intalla and Bilal Ag Cherif, both high-ranking FLA officials.

The government emphasized that these individuals are sought for their alleged roles in orchestrating and executing terrorist acts that have destabilized the country. The statement read, “The Ministry is committed to combating terrorism and safeguarding national security by offering financial incentives for actionable intelligence that ensures their arrest or neutralization.”*

Since 2012, Mali has grappled with a severe security crisis, exacerbated by the activities of armed groups such as JNIM, the Islamic State, and local criminal factions. The latest developments underscore the junta’s determination to regain control amid escalating violence.

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