Mali cracks down on civilian and military dissenters

Former Prime Ministers, top military and security personnel, a French diplomat accused of spying, as well as high-profile civilians are among those arrested by Mali's junta as it clamps down on dissenters over fears of a coup, notes Legalbrief. According to africanews, ex-Malian Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga is under arrest – the latest top politician to be detained by the West African country’s military junta. Maiga was questioned this month as part of an investigation into allegations of misuse of public property. On Tuesday, he was taken into custody, charged with corruption. Maiga served as Prime Minister from 2021 until his dismissal in November 2024, just days after he criticised the regime for postponing elections. He continued to criticise the junta after leaving office. Another former Prime Minister, Moussa Mara, was arrested on 1 August on charges of ‘damaging the state’s credibility’ after tweeting his support for jailed critics of the ruling military junta. Mali has been ruled by military leaders since the junta seized power in 2020 and staged another coup the following year. In June, the country's leader, General Assimi Goita, was given an additional five years in power, despite the junta's earlier promise to return to civilian rule by March 2024. The move followed the military regime's dissolution of political parties in May.

Meanwhile, the arrest of the French diplomat coincided with a wave of detentions within Mali’s security establishment. The transitional government announced it had apprehended what it termed a 'marginal group' of military and security personnel accused of destabilising state institutions with alleged external backing, reports Daily News Egypt. Security sources told AFP that at least 55 officers have been detained, including high-ranking generals such as Abbas Dembélé and Néma Sagara. Dembélé, a key figure in the Malian armed forces, previously served as governor of Mopti before being dismissed from his post. The arrests were concentrated within the National Guard – the same branch headed by current Defence Minister General Sadio Camara, a central figure in the ruling military council. The crackdown has also extended beyond the military. Several of Maïga's aides were also arrested this month in connection with financial investigations related to his time in office, according to Mali’s Economic and Financial Prosecutor’s Office.

France on Saturday called for the 'immediate release' of its diplomat stationed at the French Embassy in Bamako after Malian authorities announced his detention on allegations of working for a foreign intelligence service, according to Daily News Egypt. In a statement, the French Foreign Ministry stressed that the official is protected under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, describing the accusations as 'entirely without legal basis'. It added that diplomatic engagement with Malian authorities is ongoing to clarify the circumstances of the arrest. The French Embassy in Bamako separately urged French nationals in Mali to exercise caution and avoid public gatherings, amid rising political and security tensions. The developments mark the latest escalation in already fraught relations between Bamako and Paris. Since Mali’s 2020 and 2021 military coups, ties with France – the former colonial power – have steadily deteriorated, while the transitional leadership under Colonel Assimi Goïta has pivoted towards closer co-operation with Russia. With France now pressing for the release of its detained diplomat, the standoff threatens to sharpen tensions between the Malian junta and its Western partners at a time of heightened political uncertainty and security fragility.

Rumours of the arrests had circulated for several days in Mali, reports DW. The group had support from abroad and had allegedly attempted to destabilise Mali, said authorities. The Security Minister said the French national was arrested on suspicion of 'acting on behalf of the French intelligence service, which mobilised political leaders, civil society actors and military personnel' in Mali. The junta provided few other details about what this alleged coup entailed. The development comes amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent by Mali's military following a pro-democracy rally in May, the first since soldiers seized power nearly four years ago. Rida Lyammouri, an analyst at the Morocco-based Policy Centre for the New South, told AP that Mali's military is aware of the discontent among the population and members of the military. ‘The military leaders are simply not willing to let those grievances build into something more, like a coup, and therefore these arrests seem more of a way to intimidate than a legitimate coup attempt,’ Lyammouri said. ‘It's a continuation of the repeated unjustified arrests and prosecution of anyone speaking against the current regime,’ he added.