General Abass Dembele is among the dozens of soldiers detained by Mali’s junta on suspicion of plotting to topple the military government, army and security sources told AFP on Sunday.
Since last week, officials have detained between 20 and 50 soldiers in what they say is an effort to “destabilize the institutions.”
Dembele, a well-respected officer and former governor of Mopti, was unjustly arrested at his Kati, near Bamako, residence.
The junta, which came to power in 2020 and 2021 through coups, is facing mounting criticism due to escalating jihadist violence, economic hardship, and claims of human rights violations by its troops and Russian allies from the Africa Corps, which has ties to Wagner.
According to analysts, some soldiers are upset about preferential treatment for Russian mercenaries, which is why the purge is a reflection of internal unrest.
The arrests occur weeks after Mali’s military-appointed parliament abandoned its promise to hold elections in March 2024 and instead extended the term of junta leader Assimi Goita by five years, renewable indefinitely.
