A French military veteran has been detained in Mali on allegations of espionage and plotting a coup against the country’s ruling military junta, alongside numerous senior officers.
Malian authorities have accused Yann Christian Bernard Vezilier of acting on behalf of French intelligence to orchestrate the overthrow of the current regime. Vezilier, who served nearly three decades as a lieutenant colonel in the French Air Force, was awarded the National Order of Merit in 2020, France’s second-highest civilian honor, according to official government records.
Late Thursday, Malian state television broadcast images of Vezilier alongside 10 other individuals suspected of involvement in the plot, including several high-ranking army generals. France, Mali’s former colonial power, has not publicly responded to the allegations.
In a televised statement, Mali’s Security Minister, General Daoud Aly Mohammedine, announced: “The conspiracy has been foiled with the arrests of those involved.” He added that “fringe elements of the Malian armed forces” were apprehended for attempting to “destabilize the republic’s institutions” and were believed to have received support from foreign governments.
Relations between France and its former colonies in West Africa’s Sahel region have deteriorated in recent years. Military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have ended civilian governments, prompting Paris to withdraw troops previously deployed to fight Islamist militants. Mali has subsequently turned to Russia for military assistance.
The current wave of arrests, which began on August 1, includes General Abass Dembele, former governor of Mali’s Mopti region, and General Nema Sagara, one of the few women in the country’s top military ranks, recognized for her efforts against militants in 2012. Dembele was dismissed from his post in May after calling for an investigation into allegations of civilian killings by Malian forces in Diafarabé.
Most arrests have targeted personnel within the national guard, a branch of the military where Defense Minister Sadio Camara, a key junta figure, previously served. So far, at least 55 soldiers have been taken into custody in connection with the alleged coup attempt.
General Mohammedine confirmed that authorities are conducting a full investigation to identify any additional collaborators and reassured the public that “the situation is completely under control.” A separate government statement described the plot as a “desperate attempt at destabilization that will ultimately fail.”
French officials have been contacted for comment.
