Latest news with #DaoudAlyMohammedine
Al Jazeera
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
France says Mali's arrest of embassy worker on coup charges ‘unfounded'
France's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has said that a French man recently arrested in Mali on 'unfounded' charges of plotting a coup was a French embassy employee. The Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that it was in talks with Bamako to 'clear up any misunderstanding' and obtain the 'immediate release' of Yann Vezilier, who had been arrested in recent weeks alongside two generals and other military personnel. It added that the arrest of the French national was in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Mali's security minister, General Daoud Aly Mohammedine, had announced Vezilier's arrest on Thursday, alleging that he had been working for the French intelligence services, mobilising 'political leaders, civil society actors, and military personnel' to destabilise the country. Mohammedine said that a full investigation into the alleged plot, which he said had been launched on August 1, was under way and that 'the situation is completely under control'. The arrests followed a crackdown on dissent following a pro-democracy rally in May, the first since the military government came to power after back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021. France's once close relationship with its former colony in West Africa's Sahel region has soured since soldiers seized power nearly four years ago. The military government, led by President Assimi Goita, has turned away from Western partners, notably former colonial power France, expelling its troops and turning to Russia for security assistance. The country has since been gripped by a security crisis since 2012, fuelled notably by violence from groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and the ISIL (ISIS) group, as well as local criminal gangs. In June, Goita was granted an additional five years in power, despite the military government's earlier promises of a return to civilian rule by March 2024. The move followed the military's dissolution of political parties in May.
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
African state arrests suspected French spy
Mali has arrested a French national accused of spying for his country's intelligence services in an attempt to overthrow the West African country's transitional government. Relations between Bamako and Paris have deteriorated in recent years amid allegations that France is sponsoring terrorism to destabilize the Sahel military regimes. Yann Vezilier was among a 'small group of marginal elements' in the Malian army detained on August 1 for 'criminal activities aimed at destabilizing' the country, Security Minister Daoud Aly Mohammedine said in a statement on Thursday. He said Vezilier was 'acting on behalf of the French Intelligence Service, which mobilized political leaders, civil society actors, and military personnel,' including two generals, Abass Dembele and Nema Sagara, seeking to 'break the dynamic of rebuilding Mali.' Dembele is a former governor of the Mopti region, while Sagara is a brigadier general in the air force and regarded as one of the few high-ranking women in the Malian army. Mali is currently ruled by interim President Assimi Goita, an army colonel who led a 2020 military coup against President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita – as well as the May 2021 overthrow of his replacement, Bah N'Daw. Unconfirmed reports earlier this week claimed that dozens of Malian soldiers had been detained over a failed plot to topple Goita's government. At least 55 soldiers are said to have been arrested, AFP reported, citing security sources, while Reuters put the figure at between 36 and 40. On Thursday, Security Minister Mohammedine condemned what he called a 'subversive act' involving 'foreign states' and said an investigation was under way to identify 'possible accomplices.' 'The armed and security forces remain determined to complete their mission to combat terrorism, in all its forms,' he declared. The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) – formed by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger – has repeatedly accused France of seeking to sabotage the group by pressuring members to turn on each other. Niger's transitional leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, has alleged that French operatives are also working with rebel factions along border areas in neighboring Benin and Nigeria as part of a coordinated effort to destabilize his country and the wider Sahel.
The South African
2 days ago
- Politics
- The South African
French national arrested in Mali over alleged coup plot
On 14 August 2025, Mali's Security Minister General Daoud Aly Mohammedine confirmed the arrest of French national Yann Vezilier. Vezilier is accused of working 'on behalf of the French intelligence service' to destabilise Mali's military-led government. His image was broadcast on national television alongside 11 alleged conspirators. France has not yet issued an official response to the arrest or the espionage allegations. Two senior Malian generals were also arrested in connection with the alleged coup plot. General Abass Dembele, former governor of Mopti, was dismissed in May after demanding an inquiry into army-led civilian killings. General Nema Sagara, previously praised for her role in the 2012 rebel combat, was also detained. Security sources told AFP that at least 55 soldiers have been arrested so far. The junta claims the plot involved 'foreign states' and that Vezilier mobilised political leaders, civil society actors, and military personnel. General Mohammedine asserts that they 'completely foiled' the alleged conspiracy, which started on 1 August 2025. Political tensions have escalated, with former Prime Ministers Moussa Mara and Choguel Maïga arrested for embezzlement and defamation. Mara has been detained since 1 August. Mali has faced a security crisis since 2012, driven by jihadist violence and criminal gangs. Junta leader Assimi Goïta, who seized power in 2020 and 2021, extended his rule until 2030 despite earlier promises of elections. Mali has severed ties with France and aligned with Russia to combat insurgency, though attacks have intensified. Investigations into 'possible accomplices' are ongoing. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
Mali's ruling junta arrests generals, French national in alleged coup plot
Mali's junta-led government has arrested two generals and a French national, accusing them of participating in an alleged plot to destabilise the country. Mali's government, under a military junta, arrested two generals and a French national, accusing them of a plot to destabilise the country. The detained include General Abass Dembele, with authorities claiming the conspiracy was thwarted and 11 people were taken into custody. Mali has faced over a decade of instability due to Islamist insurgencies and coups since 2020, which have shifted power to the junta. Mali's junta-led government has arrested two generals and a French national, accusing them of participating in an alleged plot to destabilise the country. Those detained include General Abass Dembele, former governor of the central Mopti region, the junta said, according to Bloomberg. Minister for Security and Civil Protection General Daoud Aly Mohammedine said that the 'conspiracy was thwarted' and that 11 people were taken into custody on August 1. Mali has endured over a decade of turmoil marked by Islamist insurgencies in its arid north, along with political instability that culminated in a series of coups in 2020 and 2021 that brought the current president, General Assimi Goita, to power. Goita's junta tightens power grip Since assuming power, the junta has cracked down on political opponents and mining executives, banned political parties, and shifted towards closer ties with Russia, Turkey, and Iran, turning away from traditional Western allies such as the US and France. Under pressure from Mali's new leadership, US and France withdrew their troops from the country, ending years of joint operations against Islamist militants. The latest arrests come after two former prime ministers were detained: Moussa Mara, who accused the junta of worsening Mali's debt through regional borrowing, and Choguel Kokalla Maiga, held on charges of embezzling public funds.
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Mali's military arrests generals, suspected French agent in overthrow plot
Authorities in Mali have arrested a group of military personnel and civilians, including two Malian army generals and a suspected French secret agent, accused of attempting to destabilise the country. Mali's security minister, General Daoud Aly Mohammedine, announced the arrests on Thursday evening following days of rumours that Malian military officials had been arrested. The minister said, 'The situation is completely under control.' 'The transitional government informs the national public of the arrest of a small group of marginal elements of the Malian armed and security forces for criminal offences aimed at destabilising the institutions of the republic,' Mohammedine said on national news. 'The conspiracy has been foiled with the arrests of those involved,' he said, adding that the plot began on August 1. 'These soldiers and civilians' had obtained 'the help of foreign states', Mali's military said in a statement, adding that a French national – identified as Yann Christian Bernard Vezilier – was held on suspicion of working 'on behalf of the French intelligence service'. The security minister said the Frenchman acted 'on behalf of the French intelligence service, which mobilised political leaders, civil society actors and military personnel' in Mali. Images shared on social media of the alleged French spying suspect featured a white man in his 50s wearing a white shirt and appearing somewhat alarmed. National television also broadcast photos of 11 people it said were members of the group that planned the coup. The security minister also identified two Malian generals he said were part of the plot. One of the suspects, General Abass Dembele, is a former governor of the country's central Mopti region, who was abruptly dismissed in May when he demanded an investigation into allegations that the Malian army killed civilians in the village of Diafarabe. The second general, Nema Sagara, was previously lauded for her role in fighting rebel groups in 2012. Security sources told the AFP news agency that at least 55 soldiers had been arrested, and authorities said they were working to identify 'possible accomplices'. Impoverished Mali has been gripped by a security crisis since 2012, fuelled notably by violence from armed groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and the ISIL (ISIS) group, as well as local criminal gangs. The country's military rulers, led by President Assimi Goita, have in recent years turned away from Western partners, notably former colonial power France, and aligned politically and militarily with Russia in the name of national sovereignty. In June, Goita was granted an additional five years in power, despite the military's earlier promises of a return to civilian rule by March 2024.
