Dozens of Malian Soldiers and Two Generals Arrested Over Alleged Coup Plot Against Junta.

By Admin

Not less than 45 soldiers and two Generals have been arrested in Mali accused of plotting to topple the country’s military leaders, sources say.

The wave of arrests, which reportedly went on overnight and are expected to continue, reflect increased tensions within the military government, with reports that a jihadist insurgency in the north is gaining ground. The authorities have not commented on the arrests.

Initial reports indicated that Gen Abass Dembele, the former governor of the Mopti region and Gen Nema Sagara, one of the few women at the highest levels of the Malian army, were among those detained.

After eight years of relative political stability in Mali, a group of Malian soldiers stormed Bamako in August 2020 and detained then-President, Aboubakar Keita.

The coup d’etat followed weeks of protests against Keita, who was accused of failing to combat violent Islamist groups who were waging an armed rebellion in the North. The new military junta promised to deal with the problem swiftly.

Internal divisions within the new government led to a second coup in May 2021, resulting in the accession of Colonel Assimi Goïta to the presidency of Mali. A role he has occupied ever since.

Meanwhile, jihadist attacks have been on the rise. According to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), in the first half of 2024, Islamist groups killed a record 7,620 people in the Sahel in the first half of 2024.

In the face of the attacks, the junta has intensified crackdowns on political dissidents. In May, President Goïta dissolved all political parties and organisations in Mali, which sparked widespread protests.