Mali’s military government says its security forces thwarted an attempted coup, led by army officers and supported by an unnamed Western state, last week.
The government’s announcement comes after years of turmoil in Mali, where Colonel Assimi Goita led coups in 2020 and 2021 before becoming president of the West
The statement read out on state television said a “small group of anti-progressive Malian officers and non-commissioned officers attempted a coup on the night of May 11 to 12, 2022”.
“These soldiers were supported by a Western state. The attempt was thwarted thanks to the vigilance and professionalism of the defence and security forces.”
The news release did not name the country it was accusing nor did it give many details.
However, relations with former coloniser France have deteriorated significantly under Goita’s rule, prompting the French military to begin a withdrawal of its forces that had spent nine years fighting armed groups.
“The government of the Republic of Mali condemns with the utmost rigour this outrageous attack on state security, the purpose of which is to hinder or even annihilate the substantial efforts to secure our country and return to a constitutional order that guarantees peace and stability,” the statement continued.
The government news release added that security had been stepped up at checkpoints on the roads leaving the capital, Bamako, in an effort to catch accomplices.
A military source speaking on condition of anonymity spoke of about 10 arrests and said others would be arrested.
The government statement said “all necessary means” were being mobilised for the investigation and to find accomplices.
