Bamako, Mali –
Mali’s transitional leader, General Assimi Goïta, has dismissed a dozen senior military officers over their alleged involvement in a failed coup attempt that took place in August 2025, according to a presidential decree published on Wednesday.
The decree, dated October 7, lists multiple high-ranking members of the armed and security forces dismissed as a disciplinary measure, including Brigadier Generals Abass Dembélé and Nema Sagara, along with several lieutenant colonels and captains.
The move underscores the mounting internal tensions within Mali’s military-led government as it continues to consolidate control amid growing instability.
Foiled August Coup Attempt
Authorities said the dismissed officers were directly linked to a “subversive act” on August 1, 2025.
At the time, Major General Daoud Aly Mohammedine, Minister of Security and Civil Protection, announced on national television that the plot had been “successfully thwarted by specialized services.”
The transitional government has since stated that judicial investigations remain underway to uncover possible accomplices.
Foreign Involvement Alleged
In a notable revelation, the decree also names Yann Christian Bernard Vizilier, a French citizen, as an alleged active participant in the failed coup plot — a claim expected to heighten diplomatic tensions between Bamako and Paris.
A Pattern of Military Purges
This is not the first purge under General Goïta’s administration. In May 2024, six army lieutenants were dismissed for allegedly joining a separatist movement known as the Azawad Liberation Front.
The recurring dismissals point to the junta’s continued struggle to maintain cohesion within the armed forces while facing escalating militant violence and political uncertainty.
Source: Adapted from Africanews
