A French national detained in Mali is a member of France’s embassy in Bamako and the accusations against him are “unfounded,” the French foreign ministry said on Saturday.
Mali’s government on Thursday named the detainee as Yann Vezilier. It said he was arrested in recent weeks alongside two generals and other military personnel and accused of taking part in an alleged plot to destabilise the country.
“Dialogue is underway to clear up any misunderstanding,” France’s foreign ministry said in a statement to Reuters, adding that the arrest violates the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Relations between France and its former colonies in the Sahel, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, have deteriorated sharply following a series of military coups in recent years.