🇲🇱 Mali Arrests 45 Soldiers, Including Two Generals, Over Alleged Coup Plot

Authorities in Bamako say the arrests were aimed at foiling a plot to overthrow Mali’s military-led government.

Zig Diaries Africa News
Date: Monday, 11 August 2025
Time: 17:40 WAT
Location: 📍 Bamako, Mali

Security forces in Mali have detained at least 45 soldiers, including two senior generals, in connection with an alleged plan to “destabilise the institutions” of the Sahel nation.

General Abass Dembele — a former governor of the Mopti region admired within army ranks — was reportedly arrested in the early hours of Sunday on the outskirts of Bamako. No official explanation was given for his detention, but sources close to the general claim it was linked to a plot against the junta.

Also among those arrested is Brigadier General Nema Sagara, one of the few high-ranking women in Mali’s armed forces and a senior air force officer.

An MP speaking on condition of anonymity told local reporters, “All are soldiers. Their objective was to overthrow the junta.”

Turbulent Political Landscape Since 2020

Mali’s latest political crisis traces back to August 2020, when soldiers ousted then-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita after weeks of mass protests over insecurity and corruption. The junta, promising swift reforms, was soon plagued by internal rifts that triggered a second coup in May 2021 — elevating Colonel Assimi Goïta to the presidency.

While Goïta pledged to hold elections within 18 months, no vote has been conducted, and the government recently pushed the electoral timeline to 2027.

Rising Insurgency and Repression

Security conditions have worsened sharply. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), jihadist groups killed 7,620 people across the Sahel in the first half of 2024 — the highest figure recorded.

On June 1, 2024, the al-Qaeda-linked Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) killed more than 30 Malian soldiers in Boulkessi. In response, the junta has stepped up repression, including a May decree dissolving all political parties, sparking mass protests.

Fact-Check & Background Context

·        Abass Dembele is a former governor of Mopti and a career military officer with significant influence in the central region.

·        Nema Sagara is one of the few women to reach brigadier general rank in Mali’s military.

·        The 2020 coup ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita; the 2021 coup consolidated Colonel Assimi Goïta’s control.

·        JNIM is the primary jihadist group in Mali, allied to al-Qaeda.

·        Mali has postponed democratic elections multiple times, now targeting 2027.

🏷️ Tags: Mali, Assimi Goïta, Abass Dembele, Nema Sagara, coup attempt, Sahel crisis, JNIM attacks, West Africa politics
#Mali #Sahel #CoupPlot #WestAfrica #MilitaryJunta #JNIM #Bamako