The authorities in Mali on Thursday, August 14, said a French national had been arrested on suspicion of working for French intelligence services, and accused "foreign states" of trying to destabilize the country. The ruling junta, which came to power after back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, also said that dozens of soldiers had been detained in recent days for allegedly seeking to overthrow the government.
Impoverished Mali has been gripped by a security crisis since 2012, fueled notably by violence from groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State jihadist group, as well as local criminal gangs.
In a statement read on national television, the military said "fringe elements of the Malian armed security forces" were held for seeking to "destabilize the institutions of the republic."
"These soldiers and civilians" are said to have obtained "the help of foreign states," the government said. The French national was held on suspicion of working "on behalf of the French intelligence service."
Security sources told AFP that at least 55 soldiers had been arrested, and the government said it was working to identify "possible accomplices."
The junta confirmed the arrest of two generals, including Abbas Dembélé, a highly respected figure in the army and a former governor who was recently dismissed from his position.
Security sources told AFP the arrests were made mainly within the national guard – a branch of the army from whose ranks emerged Defence Minister Sadio Camara, a key figure in the junta. Several observers noted that some of those arrested were close to Camara, but he has not been questioned so far.
On Tuesday, Mali's civilian former prime minister Choguel Maiga and a number of his former colleagues were taken into custody as part of an investigation into claims of "misappropriation of public funds."
Maiga, a former junta heavyweight, was appointed prime minister in 2021 before being dismissed at the end of last year after criticizing the military government. He had criticized being excluded from decisions about the continued leadership of the generals, who had initially promised to hand power back to elected civilians in March 2024. No connection has been made between his arrest and those of the soldiers accused of wanting to overthrow the government.
The junta, led by President Assimi Goita, has turned away from Western partners, notably former colonial power France, to align itself politically and militarily with Russia in the name of national sovereignty. The Malian army and its Russian mercenary allies have been tasked with hunting down the jihadists and are regularly accused of committing abuses against civilians.