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Mali’s junta-led government has placed a $3.5 million bounty on one of the Sahel’s most wanted terrorist leaders, Iyad Ag Ghaly.
Ghaly is the leader of Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda-linked group blamed for some of the region’s deadliest attacks.
The former Tuareg rebel and diplomat is also wanted by the United States and the International Criminal Court.
Authorities also announced additional rewards for information leading to the arrest of Ghaly’s deputy, Amadou Kouffa, as well as two other Tuareg rebel leaders.
Officials said the individuals are accused of planning and carrying out terrorist attacks that have resulted in significant loss of life and destruction of property across Mali.
The announcement comes as Mali, under military rule since the 2020 coup, continues to battle jihadist insurgents, Islamic State-linked fighters, and armed criminal groups across the Sahel region.
In a separate measure, the junta has also banned the use of motorcycles outside major cities, according to a government order broadcast on Wednesday.
Authorities said motorcycles are widely used by insurgent groups, and the restriction is aimed at curbing militant mobility amid worsening insecurity.
