Mali’s ruling junta has expelled eleven senior military officers, including two generals, accusing them of “conspiracy” and “attempted destabilization” of the state.
The move, announced on October 8 through the Official Journal, underscores growing internal rifts within the armed forces since Colonel Assimi Goïta seized power in 2020.
Among those dismissed is General Néma Sagara, the first high-ranking female officer in Mali’s military, alongside Brigadier General Abass Dembélé, a respected figure within the army.
The decision also affects six lieutenant colonels, two captains, and a non-commissioned officer — most of whom served in the National Guard, the same branch as Defence Minister General Sadio Camara, one of the junta’s leading figures.
According to decrees reviewed by AFP, the officers were dismissed “as a matter of disciplinary action,” effective immediately.
They were arrested in early August on allegations of plotting to overthrow the government. Authorities have described the plot as a “conspiracy against institutions” but have released no further details, leaving the scope of the alleged plan unclear.
The purge comes at a time of heightened mistrust within Mali’s military, already shaken by the coups of 2020 and 2021. Analysts say the latest move reflects the junta’s effort to consolidate control amid fears of dissent in the ranks.
The case also gained an international dimension following the August 15 arrest of a French intelligence officer posted at the French embassy in Bamako.
Malian authorities accused him of collaborating with the alleged conspirators, an accusation swiftly rejected by Paris as “baseless.”
France demanded his immediate release, further straining already tense diplomatic relations between the two countries since the withdrawal of French troops in 2022.
Mali continues to grapple with a prolonged security crisis marked by attacks from militants linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. The junta has increasingly turned to Russia and its Africa Corps (formerly Wagner Group) for military assistance — a partnership criticized by Western powers for alleged human rights abuses.
Observers say the mass expulsions are a demonstration of authority by the junta but warn that such actions risk deepening divisions within an already fragile army, potentially undermining efforts to stabilize the conflict-torn nation.
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