Mali's military rulers have arrested a group of military personnel and civilians, including two Malian generals and a suspected French agent, accusing them of attempting to destabilise the country. The security minister, Gen Daouda Aly Mohammedine, announced the arrests on Thursday evening, stating that an investigation is under way and the situation is 'completely under control'.
The alleged plot involved a French national identified as Yann Vezilier, whom Mohammedine accused of acting 'on behalf of the French intelligence service'. Some reports in Mali have identified Vezilier as a flight officer listed on the French government website as a lieutenant colonel as of 2020. There has been no immediate response from France.
Mohammedine said the conspiracy began on 1 August and was foiled with the arrests. He named two generals involved: Gen Abass Dembélé, a former governor of the Mopti region dismissed in May after demanding an investigation into army killings of civilians, and Gen Néma Sagara, lauded for her role in fighting militants in 2012.
Analyst Rida Lyammouri of the Policy Center for the New South suggested the arrests are more about intimidation than a genuine coup attempt, noting that Mali's rulers are aware of discontent and are cracking down on dissent. This follows a pro-democracy rally in May, the first since the military seized power nearly four years ago.
Mali, along with Burkina Faso and Niger, has long battled an insurgency by armed militants. After two coups, the junta expelled French troops in 2022 and turned to Russia for security assistance, but attacks have intensified. In June, Gen Assimi Goïta was granted another five years in power, despite earlier promises of a return to civilian rule by March 2024.
