Mali’s military government announced it thwarted a “subversive plot,” detaining 11 suspects including generals, soldiers, civilians, and a French citizen.
In a televised statement Thursday, authorities displayed photos and names of the accused, arrested August 1st, alleging they sought to undermine Mali’s “sovereignty and reconstruction” with foreign backing.
The French national, Jean Vezilier, was identified as an intelligence operative accused of recruiting Malian political and military figures for sabotage. “While Mali fights terrorists, these actors worked with certain foreign forces to destabilize us,” the government asserted.
Two generals were among those held as judicial investigations widen. Authorities assured citizens the situation is controlled but warned of “external interference” in the fragile Sahel state.
The claim deepens tensions with France, which withdrew troops in 2022 after the junta took power. Bamako has increasingly accused Paris of espionage and neocolonial meddling—allegations France consistently denies.
With Mali embroiled in jihadist conflicts and political isolation, this arrest signals the junta’s hardening stance against perceived enemies, foreign and domestic.
Mali’s military government announced it successfully foiled a coup attempt allegedly backed by foreign interests.