Mali Arrests Dozens Of Soldiers Over Alleged Bid To Topple Junta \u2022 Channels Television
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Mali has arrested dozens of soldiers suspected of plotting to overthrow the junta, which itself took power in the West African country in a coup, sources told AFP on Sunday.<\/strong><\/p>\n Since seizing the reins in Mali through back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, the West African country\u2019s junta has ramped up repression of its critics in the face of widespread jihadist unrest.<\/p>\n \u201cSince three days ago, there have been arrests linked to an attempt to destabilise the institutions. There have been at least around 20 arrests,\u201d a Malian security source told AFP.<\/p>\n A separate source within the army confirmed an \u201cattempt at destabilisation\u201d, adding: \u201cWe have gone ahead with the necessary arrests\u201d.<\/p>\n Among those arrested was General Abass Dembele, a former governor of the central Mopti region and a respected military officer.<\/p>\n \u201cSoldiers came early this morning (Sunday) to arrest General Abass Dembele in Kati,\u201d on the outskirts of the capital Bamako, a figure close to the officer said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have not told him why he was arrested.\u201d<\/p>\n A member of the National Transition Council, the junta-backed parliament, spoke of \u201caround 50 arrests\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cAll are soldiers. Their objective was to overthrow the junta,\u201d the lawmaker said.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Since 2012 Mali has been wracked with crises on various fronts, with militants linked to the Al-Qaeda or Islamic State groups carrying out violent attacks across the Sahel nation.<\/p>\n Criminal and sectarian violence are likewise rife, while the economy is in dire straits.<\/p>\n READ ALSO:\u00a0Mali Arrests 20 Soldiers Over Alleged Bid To Topple Junta<\/strong><\/p>\n After the coups, the junta turned its back on France, arguing that the country should be free of its former colonial ruler, as have its fellow military-run allies in Niger and Burkina Faso.<\/p>\n It has forged ties with new allies, notably Russia, whose mercenaries from the paramilitary Wagner group and its successor Africa Corps have helped the military fight jihadists and other internal adversaries.<\/p>\n Yet, like Niger and Burkina Faso, Mali has continued to struggle to contain the jihadist threat, while the regular army and its Russian allies are frequently accused of committing atrocities against civilians.<\/p>\n For Malian sociologist Oumar Maiga, this latest purge was \u201cproof that the officers are struggling to control the situation. There are grumblings within the army\u2019s ranks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome soldiers are not happy with the treatment given to the Russian mercenaries at the expense of Malian soldiers,\u201d Maiga added.<\/p>\n In July, a bill passed by the military-appointed legislative body granted Mali\u2019s junta chief, General Assimi Goita, a five-year presidential mandate, renewable \u201cas many times as necessary\u201d and without elections.<\/p>\n The military government had initially pledged to return to civilian rule in March 2024.<\/p>\n\u2018Grumblings Within The Ranks\u2019<\/h2>\n