By Muhammad Mamman
Mali’s military authorities have apprehended dozens of soldiers accused of conspiring to overthrow the junta, which seized control of the West African nation through successive coups in 2020 and 2021, security sources revealed to AFP on Sunday.
Since Friday, at least 20 individuals have been detained in connection with an alleged scheme to destabilise the government, according to a Malian security official. A separate military source confirmed the “attempted destabilisation,” stating that “necessary arrests” had been made. Among those detained is General Abass Dembele, a respected former governor of the central Mopti region.
“Soldiers arrived early this morning to arrest General Dembele in Kati, near Bamako,” a source close to the officer disclosed, noting that no reason for his detention was provided.
A member of the junta-backed National Transition Council claimed that approximately 50 soldiers were arrested, asserting their intent was to topple the regime.
Tensions Amid Ongoing Crises
Mali has been gripped by multifaceted crises since 2012, with jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State perpetrating relentless attacks across the Sahel. The nation also contends with rampant criminal and sectarian violence alongside a struggling economy. Following the coups, the junta severed ties with former colonial power France, aligning instead with Russia. Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group and its successor, Africa Corps, have supported Mali’s military in combating jihadists and internal threats.
However, Mali, alongside neighbours Niger and Burkina Faso, continues to grapple with jihadist violence, while allegations of atrocities against civilians by the army and its Russian allies persist.
Sociologist Oumar Maiga described the arrests as evidence of internal discord, stating, “This purge highlights the junta’s struggle to maintain control. There’s discontent within the ranks, particularly over the preferential treatment of Russian mercenaries compared to Malian soldiers.”
In July, Mali’s military-appointed legislature passed a bill granting junta leader General Assimi Goita a five-year presidential term, renewable indefinitely without elections, despite earlier promises to restore civilian rule by March 2024.
