Mali

Reports: Soldiers Arrested in Mali Over Coup Allegations

Published AUG 13 2025

Story

Above: A soldier wears a uniform with the logo of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) in Bamako on Feb. 15, 2025. Image credit: GOUSNO/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

Reports have emerged that dozens of soldiers were arrested in Mali over the weekend and on Monday for their alleged involvement in a coup plot to overthrow the military government of Gen. Assimi Goïta.
Al Jazeera
allAfrica
The total number of arrests varies by source. Reuters reported that its sources said that 36 to 40 people have been detained while AFP's sources spoke of "at least around 20" and "around 50" arrests. Neither the government nor the military has commented yet.
Al Jazeera
Reuters
France 24
Initial reports suggested that at least two generals — Gen. Abass Dembélé, a former governor of the central Mopti region, and Brig. Gen. Nema Sagara, one of the few high-ranking women in the army — were among those arrested, but a source told BBC that neither of them had been detained.
Africanews
BBC News
Business Insider
This comes as the junta dissolved all political parties in May, in the wake of anti-government protests, and as two former prime ministers, Moussa Mara and Choguel Maïga, are in custody.
The Associated Press
The Voice of Africa
Gen. Goïta has been in power since 2021 and is set to continue leading the country until at least 2030 as the transitional parliament granted him a five-year presidential term in July.
allAfrica
BBC News
Business Insider
He took over the country in 2021 promising to tackle the Islamist insurgency that Mali has been fighting since 2012. According to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, attacks have been on the rise, though.
Africanews
BBC News

Sources Split

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

This latest purge reveals that the Malian Armed Forces are having a difficult time in avoiding the cracks within its ranks — especially as some soldiers are unhappy with the better treatment that Russian mercenaries receive at their expense.

France 24

Establishment-critical narrative

Malian Armed Forces thwarted a France-backed coup and assassination attempt against Gen. Goïta, arresting all accomplices involved in the failed plot. The revolution will continue in Mali despite Western foreign interference.