Mali Arrests Dozens Of Soldiers Over Alleged Bid To Topple Junta

Mali has detained around 20 military personnel suspected of attempting to overthrow the ruling junta, according to AFP sources. A security official noted that the arrests have been ongoing for three days, with at least around 20 individuals taken into custody.

Among those arrested is General Abass Dembele, a respected officer and former governor of the Mopti region, who was apprehended by soldiers early Sunday in Kati, near the capital Bamako; the reason for his arrest remains undisclosed.

A lawmaker from the junta-backed National Transition Council claimed as many as 50 soldiers may have been arrested, all allegedly plotting to overthrow the regime. Sociologist Oumar Maiga suggests the arrests reflect internal discord within the military. He pointed to dissatisfaction among Malian soldiers who feel sidelined in favor of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group and its successor, the Africa Corps.

Since taking power in back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, Mali’s junta has increasingly suppressed dissent amid ongoing jihadist violence and economic instability.

The regime has shifted away from France and built closer ties with Russia, whose mercenary forces have supported counterinsurgency efforts, changes that some analysts believe are contributing to tension within the armed forces.