Iyad Ag Ghaly, a former Tuareg rebel and Malian diplomat, currently stands as the head of the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an organization established in 2017.

He is widely considered the most sought-after individual across the Sahel region, facing sanctions from the United Nations, listed as a ‘terrorist’ by the United States, and subject to an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Mali is grappling with a severe security situation following a series of coordinated attacks on April 25 and 26. These assaults were reportedly carried out by JNIM jihadists in collaboration with the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) rebellion, a predominantly Tuareg group.

The unprecedented scale of these coordinated attacks targeted vital strategic positions held by the ruling junta in Bamako and other regions of the country. Tragically, these events led to the death of Sadio Camara, 47, Mali’s Defense Minister and a key figure within the junta, who perished in a suicide bombing.

In a televised statement delivered on Thursday, the Malian government announced substantial financial rewards for information leading to the capture of six additional high-profile individuals. Among them are Amadou Kouffa, another prominent JNIM leader, with a reward set at 2.2 million euros, alongside two leaders of the FLA, Alghabass Ag Intalla and Bilal Ag Cherif.

“The Ministry of Security and Civil Protection, dedicated to counter-terrorism efforts and safeguarding national security, is offering a financial reward to anyone providing reliable, relevant, and actionable intelligence that facilitates the arrest or neutralization of the aforementioned individuals,” the communiqué stated.

The statement further emphasized that “these individuals are actively pursued by competent authorities for their alleged involvement in the planning, organization, and execution of terrorist acts that have compromised the safety of people and property across the national territory.”

Since 2012, Mali has been embroiled in a profound security crisis, primarily fueled by the violence perpetrated by JNIM, the Islamic State (IS) group, and various communal criminal factions, posing significant challenges for Sahel current affairs.