Mali’s authorities have arrested dozens of soldiers accused of plotting to overthrow the ruling junta, which itself came to power through successive coups in 2020 and 2021, sources told AFP on Sunday.
Since taking control, the junta has intensified repression of critics while grappling with persistent jihadist violence.
A Malian security source said, “For the past three days, arrests have been linked to an attempt to destabilise the institutions. At least 20 people have been detained.”
An army source confirmed the “attempt at destabilisation” and said the necessary arrests had been made.
Among those detained was General Abass Dembele, a respected officer and former governor of Mopti region. “Soldiers came early this morning (Sunday) to arrest General Abass Dembele in Kati,” said a source close to him. “They have not given any reason for his arrest.”
A member of the National Transition Council, the junta-backed parliament, claimed around 50 soldiers had been arrested, alleging their objective was to topple the junta.
Mali has faced continuous crises since 2012, with Islamist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State launching attacks across the country, alongside rampant criminal and communal violence and severe economic hardship.
Following the coups, the junta severed ties with France, aligning instead with Russia. Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group and its successor, Africa Corps, have assisted Mali’s army in fighting jihadists, though both forces face frequent accusations of atrocities against civilians.
Sociologist Oumar Maiga said the arrests revealed internal discontent within the military. “Some soldiers are unhappy with the preferential treatment given to Russian mercenaries over Malian troops,” he noted.
In July, Mali’s military-appointed legislature passed a bill granting junta leader General Assimi Goita a renewable five-year presidential term without elections, abandoning earlier promises to return to civilian rule in March 2024.