Malian authorities have detained more than 30 soldiers and senior military officials accused of plotting to undermine the government, security and government sources told Reuters, highlighting internal strains within the ruling junta.
The arrests, carried out over several days, include General Abass Dembele, former governor of Mopti region, according to a security source who said 36 people were in custody. A government source put the number at around 40.
Mali’s military rulers seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, pledging to restore security in a country where Islamist militants hold swathes of the north and centre. In April, a national conference recommended granting interim leader Assimi Goita a renewable five-year presidential term and dissolving all political parties — a move that triggered rare protests in Bamako in May, after which the junta suspended political activity.
Authorities last month confirmed Goita’s five-year term, with no limits on renewal. Neither the government nor the military has commented on the arrests.
Mali continues to face deadly attacks by the al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which also operates in Burkina Faso and Niger. Analysts say JNIM has expanded its resources and refined its tactics through raids on army posts, kidnappings, extortion, and cross-border operations.
Since their respective coups, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have severed ties with Western partners and deepened security cooperation with Russia.