Mali’s military government says it has foiled an alleged Mali coup plot and arrested a French national accused of spying for Paris. The junta claims Yann Vezilier was working “on behalf of the French intelligence service” to help destabilise the West African nation.
Security Minister Gen Daoud Aly Mohammedine announced the arrest on national television, stating that Vezilier had mobilised political leaders, civil society figures, and military officers in a conspiracy to overthrow the government. His image was broadcast alongside those of army generals recently detained over the same plot.
Two senior officers, including Gen Abass Dembele, former governor of the Mopti region, are among at least 55 soldiers arrested so far. The minister alleged that “fringe elements” in Mali’s armed forces were working with foreign states to undermine the country’s institutions.
The junta says the situation is now “completely under control,” but a full investigation is under way to identify any accomplices. Paris, Mali’s former colonial ruler, has yet to comment on the arrest or allegations.
Political tensions in Mali have been escalating. Former prime ministers Moussa Mara and Choguel Maïga have been detained in recent weeks over accusations ranging from harming the state’s reputation to embezzlement. In May, the junta dissolved all political parties following rare anti-government protests, a move critics called a major setback to national reconciliation.
Junta leader Gen Asimi Goïta, who seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, postponed promised elections last year. In July, the transition period was extended by five years, allowing him to remain in power until at least 2030.
Mali, along with neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso, has shifted away from France and partnered with Russian forces to combat jihadist insurgents. However, violence has continued, with Islamist attacks increasing despite the new alliances.
The Mali coup plot allegations risk further straining already fractured relations between Bamako and Paris, which collapsed after the junta expelled French troops in 2022. For now, the arrest of Vezilier adds a high-profile international twist to Mali’s deepening political crisis.
