Tensions in Mali’s ruling junta amid reported arrests of senior officers
By: Zagazola Makama
Mali’s ruling junta is facing heightened internal tensions following a reported wave of arrests within the military, overshadowing the country’s fight against terrorism.
Security and political sources in Bamako said that at least 43 military personnel – including senior and junior officers – have been arrested in recent days and transferred to Markala.
Unconfirmed reports circulating widely in the Malian capital on Monday night alleged that the Chief of Staff of the National Guard, Brig.-Gen. Famouké Camara, a close ally of Defence Minister Sadio Camara, had also been detained.
Although the arrest of the general has not been officially confirmed, analysts say such a move would mark a decisive rupture between transitional president, Col. Assimi Goïta, and the defence minister, two of the most powerful figures in Mali’s military leadership.
The apparent split comes amid long-standing rivalries within the junta, with observers warning of the risk of an open confrontation between the two camps.
The developments have diverted attention from the ongoing insurgencies by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), and Tuareg rebels, who continue to make territorial gains.
Political commentators in Bamako say the current purge risks further eroding troop morale and weakening cohesion in the security forces, while benefiting armed groups.
They warn that the rift mirrors patterns seen in other military regimes in the region, where initial unity gives way to power struggles, internal distrust, and eventual fragmentation.
For now, neither the presidency nor the Ministry of Defence has issued a statement on the alleged arrests, and the situation in the capital remains tense.
