Two generals and more than 40 soldiers arrested over coup allegations in Mali

At least 45 Malian soldiers, including two generals, were arrested over the weekend for attempts to ”destabilise the institutions" in the Sahel country.

Among those arrested was General Abass Dembele, a former governor of the central Mopti region who is popular within army ranks.

Soldiers arrested Debele early Sunday morning on the outskirts of the capital, Bamako, without explaining the reasons for his apprehension, a source close to the General said.

Nema Sagara, a brigadier General in the air force, was also arrested. She is one of the few high-ranking women in the Malian army.

"All are soldiers. Their objective was to overthrow the junta," the MP said.

The rise of Mali's military junta

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.

Jihadist attacks and political repression fuel discontent

Following the 2020 coup, the Malian junta with Goïta at the helm promised to hold elections within 18 months. No vote has been held so far, with the government recently postponing the ballot to 2027.

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.

Recently, the armed group, Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, or JNIM, killed more than 30 soldiers at a military base in Boulkessi in central Mali on June 1st.

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.