Mali’s military junta said it stopped an attempted coup and detained several individuals, including two generals and a French national, accusing them of trying to destabilize the transitional government.
Security Minister General Daoud Aly Mohammedine announced the arrests on state television late Thursday, confirming that dozens of soldiers had already been detained in recent days.
Rumors of the detentions had circulated across Mali for several days prior.
The French national was arrested on suspicion of acting on behalf of France’s intelligence service.
According to the Malian authorities, the person allegedly sought to influence political leaders, civil society figures, and military personnel in the country.
France, Mali’s former colonial power, has not commented on the detention.
Among the arrested is General Abass Dembele, a former governor of the central Mopti region. D
Dembele is popular with Malian soldiers and was dismissed in May after calling for an investigation into allegations that the army executed civilians in the village of Diafarabe.
Few details have been provided about the alleged coup plot or the role of the French national.
The arrests come amid a continuing crackdown on dissent in Mali. The military has targeted pro-democracy activists since a rally in May, the first of its kind since soldiers seized power in back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021.
Analysts say the arrests may be intended to intimidate those voicing opposition rather than reflecting a real coup attempt.
In July, military leader General Assimi Goita was granted a five-year presidential term, renewable indefinitely, despite earlier promises to return the country to civilian rule by March 2024.
This move followed the junta’s dissolution of political parties in May and the decision to withdraw Mali from the regional organization ECOWAS after it demanded the restoration of democratic governance.
The recent arrests signal the military’s continued effort to suppress potential challenges to its authority while maintaining strict control over the country’s political and military institutions.