Malian authorities have detained dozens of soldiers accused of plotting to overthrow the military junta, security and parliamentary sources told AFP on Sunday.
The arrests, which began three days ago, are linked to an “attempt to destabilise the institutions,” a Malian security source said, adding that “at least around 20” soldiers had been taken into custody. A separate army source confirmed the arrests, describing them as “necessary.”
Among those detained was General Abass Dembele, a former governor of the central Mopti region and a respected military figure. “Soldiers came early this morning (Sunday) to arrest General Abass Dembele in Kati,” near the capital Bamako, a source close to him said. “They have not told him why he was arrested.”
A member of the junta-backed National Transition Council put the number of arrests closer to 50, all military personnel, and alleged their aim was to oust the ruling junta.
Since 2012, Mali has faced overlapping crises, including attacks by jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. The junta, which seized power in 2020 and 2021 coups, has severed ties with France and aligned with Russia, enlisting fighters from the Wagner Group and its successor, Africa Corps, to combat insurgents and other threats.
However, both the Malian military and its Russian allies have faced repeated accusations of civilian abuses, while jihadist violence persists.
Sociologist Oumar Maiga said the purge highlighted “grumblings within the army’s ranks,” noting some soldiers’ resentment over perceived preferential treatment for Russian mercenaries.
In July, Mali’s military-appointed legislature passed a law granting junta leader General Assimi Goita a five-year presidential mandate, renewable indefinitely, abandoning an earlier pledge to restore civilian rule by March 2024.
