Mali has arrested two generals and a French national, accusing them of participating in an alleged plot to destabilise the West African nation, according to a government statement.
Mali has endured over a decade of turmoil marked by insecurity in its arid north along with political instability that culminated in a series of coups in 2020 and 2021 that brought current president General Assimi Goita to power.
Earlier this week, dozens of soldiers and military officials were reportedly taken into custody on suspicion of attempting to destabilise Goita's government.
Mali's ministry of territorial administration, in a statement released late on Thursday, said those arrested included Yann Vezilier, a French citizen.
Soured French relations
The ministry statement accused Vezilier of acting on behalf of French intelligence services to mobilise political and civil society figures and military officers.
A French foreign ministry spokesperson said Friday that it had no official comment on Vezilier's arrest, Reuters reports.
Who are detained?
Malian state media showed images of 10 other people detained for involvement in the alleged plot, including General Abass Dembele, who is the former governor of the central Mopti region, and General Nema Sagara, another leading military figure.
The ministry did not specify how many people had been arrested in total but described them as "a group of marginal elements" and said the situation was under control.
France's once close relationship with its former colonies in West Africa's Sahel region has soured in recent years after military takeovers in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
They cut economic and military ties with Paris and turned to alternative partners, including Türkiye and Russia.
