Malian rulers have apprehended 2 generals and a Frenchman as the part of the latest batch of culprits and a suspected French agent, accused of attempting to destabilize the country.
The announcement of the latest arrests follows rumors in recent days of arrests of Malian army officers and was made by Mali’s security minister, Gen. Daoud Aly Mohammedine on the evening news on the local media. He assured the audience that a full investigation was underway and that “the situation is completely under control.”
The development comes amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent by Mali’s military following a pro-democracy rally in May, the first since soldiers seized power nearly four years ago.
The military provided few details about the alleged coup plotters, what it entailed and the French national implicated in it, beyond identifying the man as Yann Vezilier. The security minister said the Frenchman acted “on behalf of the French intelligence service, which mobilized political leaders, civil society actors, and military personnel” in Mali.