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LeMonde
2 days ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Mali junta accuses foreign powers of destabilization plot
The authorities in Mali on Thursday, August 14, said a French national had been arrested on suspicion of working for French intelligence services, and accused "foreign states" of trying to destabilize the country. The ruling junta, which came to power after back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, also said that dozens of soldiers had been detained in recent days for allegedly seeking to overthrow the government. Impoverished Mali has been gripped by a security crisis since 2012, fueled notably by violence from groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State jihadist group, as well as local criminal gangs. In a statement read on national television, the military said "fringe elements of the Malian armed security forces" were held for seeking to "destabilize the institutions of the republic." "These soldiers and civilians" are said to have obtained "the help of foreign states," the government said. The French national was held on suspicion of working "on behalf of the French intelligence service." Security sources told AFP that at least 55 soldiers had been arrested, and the government said it was working to identify "possible accomplices." The junta confirmed the arrest of two generals, including Abbas Dembélé, a highly respected figure in the army and a former governor who was recently dismissed from his position. Security sources told AFP the arrests were made mainly within the national guard – a branch of the army from whose ranks emerged Defence Minister Sadio Camara, a key figure in the junta. Several observers noted that some of those arrested were close to Camara, but he has not been questioned so far. 'Misappropriation' On Tuesday, Mali's civilian former prime minister Choguel Maiga and a number of his former colleagues were taken into custody as part of an investigation into claims of "misappropriation of public funds." Maiga, a former junta heavyweight, was appointed prime minister in 2021 before being dismissed at the end of last year after criticizing the military government. He had criticized being excluded from decisions about the continued leadership of the generals, who had initially promised to hand power back to elected civilians in March 2024. No connection has been made between his arrest and those of the soldiers accused of wanting to overthrow the government. The junta, led by President Assimi Goita, has turned away from Western partners, notably former colonial power France, to align itself politically and militarily with Russia in the name of national sovereignty. The Malian army and its Russian mercenary allies have been tasked with hunting down the jihadists and are regularly accused of committing abuses against civilians.
Arab News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Malian army roots out alleged anti-junta plotters
BAMAKO: Mali's junta has carried out arrests to quash an alleged plot to overthrow the government within the army's ranks, sources said, but the circumstances of the detentions remain unexplained. The junta, which itself came to power in back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, has made 55 arrests, mainly among the National Guard, the military branch from which Defense Minister General Sadio Camara hails. The military-backed government has yet to officially comment on the crackdown, which comes as the army is locked in fighting with terrorists and separatists. The arrests, which began last week and continued into early Monday, were carried out by the junta following what a security and military source said were 'destabilization' attempts. While Defense Minister Camara, a key figure within the ruling junta, has not been questioned, observers say several of those apprehended are believed to be officers close to him. According to a Malian security source, civilians could also be questioned soon. Two generals were among those detained, including Abass Dembele, a former governor of the central Mopti region and a respected military officer. Gen. Nema Sagara, a rare woman to serve as brigadier general in the Malian Air Force, who also hailed from the center of the country, was the other. 'The situation is a bit complex,' one African diplomat stationed in Bamako said. 'The government's silence while arrests have been ongoing for at least four days deserves reflection.' 'Are we dealing with preventive arrests? Were the arrested soldiers in the phase of destabilizing the (junta), as we understand it?' the source asked. Since 2012, Mali has been wracked with crises on various fronts, with extremists linked to Al-Qaeda or Daesh carrying out violent attacks across the Sahel nation. Mali's junta has ramped up repression of its critics in the face of the terrorist unrest. For Malian sociologist Oumar Maiga, the spate of arrests within the army's ranks was 'proof that the officers are struggling to control the situation.' When junta chief Gen. Assimi Goita took power after deposing President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in 2020, he insisted he was committed to the fight against jihadist violence and initially pledged a return to civilian rule. But the military ultimately reneged on its promise to cede power to elected civilians by the deadline it had set. The junta announced in May the dissolution of all political parties and organizations, as well as a ban on meetings. Then in July, Goita extended his military rule for at least five more years without an election. Gen. Goita's rule has marked a turning point in Mali's relationship with the West. The country has broken ties with France and other former allies, pivoting toward Russia instead. Mali and its junta-led neighbors Burkina Faso and Niger have teamed up to create their own confederation, the Alliance of Sahel States, or AES, and have announced the creation of a 5,000-strong force for joint military operations. Meanwhile, the Malian army and its Russian mercenary allies, which are tasked in particular with tracking down extremists, are regularly accused of rights violations against civilians.
Arab News
25-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Islamic military coalition hosts training in Mali to counter terrorist financing
RIYADH: The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition concluded a specialized training program on combating terrorist financing in Bamako, Mali, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday. Conducted in cooperation with Mali's Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs, the program aimed to strengthen national capacities to counter terrorist financing and money laundering. The initiative is part of a broader series of strategic activities by the coalition to support its member states, the SPA added. The launch event was attended by Lt. Gen. Sadio Camara, Mali's minister of defense and veterans affairs; Maj. Gen. Mohammed Al-Moghed, secretary-general of the coalition; senior diplomatic and military officials; and representatives from national and international organizations. The program featured a scientific lecture, 'Financial Investigations into Terrorism Financing and Money Laundering Crimes,' attended by more than 200 participants, including security, oversight, and judicial personnel. The session covered methodologies for financial tracking, analysis of illicit networks, and shared relevant international experiences. Additionally, a closed workshop, 'Methods of Countering the Financing of Terrorist Organizations in the Sahel Region,' brought together specialists from key national and regional entities. Discussions focused on shared challenges, successful models, ongoing initiatives, and mechanisms for enhanced cooperation. The event concluded with a reaffirmation of the importance of sustained collaboration between the coalition and its member states. Participants emphasized the need to expand training and capacity-building efforts to enhance institutional readiness and strengthen collective responses to security threats across the Sahel region.
National Observer
13-05-2025
- Health
- National Observer
Mercury fuels gold mining in Senegal and is poisoning the people who use it
The quickest way to separate gold from rock, Sadio Camara says, is with a drop of mercury. She empties a dime-sized packet of the silvery liquid into a plastic bucket of muddy sediment outside her home in southeastern Senegal. With bare hands and no mask, she swirls the mixture as her children look on. 'I know mercury isn't good for your health — that's why I don't drink the water it comes into contact with,' she said. 'I only process small amounts of gold, so there's no danger.' But even small-scale exposure can carry serious risks. Across West Africa, mercury — a potent neurotoxin — remains the dominant method for extracting gold from ore in the region's booming informal mining sector, much of it illegal and unregulated. In Senegal's gold-rich Kedougou region, women like Camara use the metal regularly, often without protective gloves and masks, to make a living. Mercury exposure can cause irreversible brain damage, developmental delays, tremors and loss of vision, hearing and coordination. Once released, it spreads easily through air, water and soil. Particularly after heavy rains, it contaminates rivers, poisons fish and accumulates up the food chain. A 2018 Duke University-led study found mercury levels in soils, sediments and water near artisanal gold mining villages in southeastern Senegal that exceeded safety thresholds set by the World Health Organization and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by 10 to 100 times. In artisanal mining, mercury is prized for its ability to bind quickly and easily to gold. Miners mix the liquid metal into crushed ore, and the mixture is then heated — often over open flames — to evaporate the mercury and leave behind a lump of gold. The process is cheap, effective and dangerous. Mercury fuels gold mining in Senegal. And it's poisoning the people who use it. 'If it hurt right away, like a knife, people would stop. But the issue is that it takes years for the dangers to manifest,' said Doudou Dramé, president of the Observatoire Territoriale du Secteur Extractif, an organization that advocates for safer conditions for gold miners in Kedougou. 'People are dumping it directly into the river. They're burning it in the open, releasing toxic smoke into the air. It's extremely dangerous.' Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is the largest global source of mercury emissions, even more than the burning of coal, according to the UN Environment Programme. In Senegal alone, artisanal mines are estimated to release between 12 and 16 metric tons of mercury each year. 'Kedougou has rich land — very rich land,' Dramé said. 'Now mercury is everywhere. Our animals consume it, and it comes back to us. Even the soil is no longer fertile.' For women, a life that puts them in mercury's way Along the muddy banks of a rust-colored pond, dozens of women wade knee-deep as they rinse piles of sediment in search of gold. Children dart between mounds of earth while the runoff pools around their feet. With little access to clean water, many women spend long hours in local waterways to work, bathe their children, wash clothes and clean dishes. 'Women are much more exposed than men,' said Modou Goumbala, the monitoring and evaluation manager at La Lumiere, an NGO that supports community development in southeastern Senegal. That exposure can be especially dangerous for pregnant and nursing women. Mercury can cross the placenta, putting fetuses at risk of developmental delays and birth defects. Infants may also absorb the toxin through contaminated breast milk. Inside her kitchen hut not far from the stream, Camara heats a nugget of mercury-laced sediment with a metal spoon over an open flame. The toxic metal evaporates and leaves behind a kernel of gold. There's no mask, no gloves — just the raw materials and her bare hands. Her children stand just a few feet away, watching and breathing the fumes. Camara said she doesn't usually handle the burning herself; that task is typically left to men. But she and other women regularly mix and shape the mercury amalgam with no protection. One of her children suffers from frequent stomachaches, though she hasn't noticed any other symptoms. Still, the risks loom. Why take the risks? Because gold pays 'The easiest way to earn money today is gold mining,' Camara said. 'Subsistence agriculture will not provide you enough for food or other needs.' In Senegal, gold processors like Camara typically process between 5 and 10 grams of gold per month, earning the equivalent of $370 to $745 — more than double the national average salary of about $200. Senegal ratified the Minamata Convention on Mercury in 2016, pledging to reduce mercury use and pollution. But the substance remains widely accessible. Most of the country's supply comes from Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana, with smaller amounts smuggled from dental clinics in Dakar, according to a 2022 report by the Institute for Security Studies. In 2020, the government promised to build 400 mercury-free gold processing units. So far, only one has been constructed — in Bantaco, about 15 miles from Camara's home. The facility uses gravity to separate gold from ore, eliminating the need for mercury by relying on sluices and shaking tables. During a recent visit, the rusting slab of metal sat unused beneath a corrugated roof. 'People used it for a while, but then they stopped, because one single unit can't cover an entire community,' Goumbala said. 'Naturally, those who were nearby could use it. But for those who are very far away, they can't afford to transport the ore all the way, process it and then go back. It's extra work. That's a problem.' Camara said she tried the unit, but in addition to being far away, it was less effective at isolating gold – some was lost in the process. Repeated efforts to schedule an interview with Senegal's director of artisanal and small-scale mining were unsuccessful. The director later said the department had been suspended. He did not provide a reason. Senegal swore in a new president in 2024, but residents say the problems remain. 'There's a new administration in place, but promises are still just promises,' Goumbala said. He believes the lack of progress is due to limited funding. In an effort to curb pollution, authorities temporarily suspended mining within 500 meters (1,640 feet)of the Faleme River, which cuts through Senegal's gold belt and forms part of the border with Mali. But enforcement is weak as officials struggle to stem the influx of informal miners, many of whom arrive from neighboring countries. Critics say the measure barely scratches the surface of the problem. 'The solution is to install the gold processing units within the communities — at least one per village,' Goumbala said. Even so, he acknowledged the challenges: The machines are expensive, difficult to maintain and require replacement parts that are only available abroad. There's also resistance among miners, who say mercury is more efficient and profitable. 'We need to convince communities that even if they make more money using mercury, in the end, they'll spend that profit on treating illnesses caused by it,' Goumbala said. 'The long-term consequences are far worse.'
13-05-2025
- Health
Mercury fuels gold mining in Senegal, it's poisoning the people who use it
KEDOUGOU, Senegal -- The quickest way to separate gold from rock, Sadio Camara says, is with a drop of mercury. She empties a dime-sized packet of the silvery liquid into a plastic bucket of muddy sediment outside her home in southeastern Senegal. With bare hands and no mask, she swirls the mixture as her children look on. 'I know mercury isn't good for your health — that's why I don't drink the water it comes into contact with,' she said. 'I only process small amounts of gold, so there's no danger.' But even small-scale exposure can carry serious risks. Across West Africa, mercury — a potent neurotoxin — remains the dominant method for extracting gold from ore in the region's booming informal mining sector, much of it illegal and unregulated. In Senegal's gold-rich Kedougou region, women like Camara use the metal regularly, often without protective gloves and masks, to make a living. Mercury exposure can cause irreversible brain damage, developmental delays, tremors and loss of vision, hearing and coordination. Once released, it spreads easily through air, water and soil. Particularly after heavy rains, it contaminates rivers, poisons fish and accumulates up the food chain. A 2018 Duke University-led study found mercury levels in soils, sediments and water near artisanal gold mining villages in southeastern Senegal that exceeded safety thresholds set by the World Health Organization and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by 10 to 100 times. In artisanal mining, mercury is prized for its ability to bind quickly and easily to gold. Miners mix the liquid metal into crushed ore, and the mixture is then heated — often over open flames — to evaporate the mercury and leave behind a lump of gold. The process is cheap, effective and dangerous. 'If it hurt right away, like a knife, people would stop. But the issue is that it takes years for the dangers to manifest,' said Doudou Dramé, president of the Observatoire Territoriale du Secteur Extractif, an organization that advocates for safer conditions for gold miners in Kedougou. 'People are dumping it directly into the river. They're burning it in the open, releasing toxic smoke into the air. It's extremely dangerous.' Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is the largest global source of mercury emissions, even more than the burning of coal, according to the UN Environment Programme. In Senegal alone, artisanal mines are estimated to release between 12 and 16 metric tons of mercury each year. 'Kedougou has rich land — very rich land,' Dramé said. 'Now mercury is everywhere. Our animals consume it, and it comes back to us. Even the soil is no longer fertile.' Along the muddy banks of a rust-colored pond, dozens of women wade knee-deep as they rinse piles of sediment in search of gold. Children dart between mounds of earth while the runoff pools around their feet. With little access to clean water, many women spend long hours in local waterways to work, bathe their children, wash clothes and clean dishes. 'Women are much more exposed than men,' said Modou Goumbala, the monitoring and evaluation manager at La Lumiere, an NGO that supports community development in southeastern Senegal. That exposure can be especially dangerous for pregnant and nursing women. Mercury can cross the placenta, putting fetuses at risk of developmental delays and birth defects. Infants may also absorb the toxin through contaminated breast milk. Inside her kitchen hut not far from the stream, Camara heats a nugget of mercury-laced sediment with a metal spoon over an open flame. The toxic metal evaporates and leaves behind a kernel of gold. There's no mask, no gloves — just the raw materials and her bare hands. Her children stand just a few feet away, watching and breathing the fumes. Camara said she doesn't usually handle the burning herself; that task is typically left to men. But she and other women regularly mix and shape the mercury amalgam with no protection. One of her children suffers from frequent stomachaches, though she hasn't noticed any other symptoms. Still, the risks loom. 'The easiest way to earn money today is gold mining,' Camara said. 'Subsistence agriculture will not provide you enough for food or other needs.' In Senegal, gold processors like Camara typically process between 5 and 10 grams of gold per month, earning the equivalent of $370 to $745 — more than double the national average salary of about $200. Senegal ratified the Minamata Convention on Mercury in 2016, pledging to reduce mercury use and pollution. But the substance remains widely accessible. Most of the country's supply comes from Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana, with smaller amounts smuggled from dental clinics in Dakar, according to a 2022 report by the Institute for Security Studies. In 2020, the government promised to build 400 mercury-free gold processing units. So far, only one has been constructed — in Bantaco, about 15 miles from Camara's home. The facility uses gravity to separate gold from ore, eliminating the need for mercury by relying on sluices and shaking tables. During a recent visit, the rusting slab of metal sat unused beneath a corrugated roof. 'People used it for a while, but then they stopped, because one single unit can't cover an entire community,' Goumbala said. 'Naturally, those who were nearby could use it. But for those who are very far away, they can't afford to transport the ore all the way, process it and then go back. It's extra work. That's a problem.' Camara said she tried the unit, but in addition to being far away, it was less effective at isolating gold – some was lost in the process. Repeated efforts to schedule an interview with Senegal's director of artisanal and small-scale mining were unsuccessful. The director later said the department had been suspended. He did not provide a reason. Senegal swore in a new president in 2024, but residents say the problems remain. 'There's a new administration in place, but promises are still just promises,' Goumbala said. He believes the lack of progress is due to limited funding. In an effort to curb pollution, authorities temporarily suspended mining within 500 meters (1,640 feet)of the Faleme River, which cuts through Senegal's gold belt and forms part of the border with Mali. But enforcement is weak as officials struggle to stem the influx of informal miners, many of whom arrive from neighboring countries. Critics say the measure barely scratches the surface of the problem. 'The solution is to install the gold processing units within the communities — at least one per village,' Goumbala said. Even so, he acknowledged the challenges: The machines are expensive, difficult to maintain and require replacement parts that are only available abroad. There's also resistance among miners, who say mercury is more efficient and profitable. 'We need to convince communities that even if they make more money using mercury, in the end, they'll spend that profit on treating illnesses caused by it,' Goumbala said. 'The long-term consequences are far worse.'
