Mali’s ruling junta has launched a sweeping crackdown, detaining dozens of soldiers accused of plotting to overthrow the military leadership, sources told AFP on Sunday. The arrests mark a new chapter in the political turbulence gripping the West African nation since the back-to-back coups of 2020 and 2021.
The detentions started three days ago and are connected with what officials characterize as an “attempt to destabilise the institutions.” At least 20 soldiers have been detained, while a different military source confirmed the purported conspiracy and said that “necessary arrests” had been made.
High-Profile Arrests Shake the Military
Among the arrested is General Abass Dembele, a top military figure in Mali and a former governor of the central Mopti region. Soldiers went to his residence in Kati, near Bamako, early on Sunday morning to arrest him, witnesses said. His arrest reason has not been announced.
A politician from the junta-supported National Transition Council made the claim the sweep could be even bigger, with about 50 soldiers arrested. “Their mission was to topple the junta,” the lawmaker said.
Mounting Pressures and Growing Discontent
Mali has experienced a decade of accelerating crises. Since 2012, Islamist militants affiliated with Al-Qaeda and Islamic State have conducted lethal assaults throughout the Sahel, in addition to extensive criminal and ethnic violence. The economy is weakening, and tensions internally are increasing.
The junta cut military relations with France following the coups, aligning themselves with the actions of fellow military regimes Niger and Burkina Faso, and sought instead to partner with Russia. Wagner Group mercenaries, subsequently renamed Africa Corps, have been sent in to help counter the jihadists.
Foreign Alliances, Local Tensions
In spite of these new alliances, however, Mali remains plagued by insecurity, and its own military as well as Russian allies have been accused by human rights groups of abuses against civilians. As Malian sociologist Oumar Maiga indicates, the recent arrests are an indication of cracks in the military itself.
“This purge illustrates that the officers are attempting to get a grip on the situation,” Maiga explained, adding that “grumblings within the army’s ranks” are partly based on grudges over perceived special treatment of Russian mercenaries versus Malian soldiers.
The junta is still in charge for now, but the reported attempt at a coup highlights the tenuous hold it has over a country already weakened by insurgency, economic woes, and political instability.
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