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Officials in Mali have reportedly thwarted an alleged coup plot that was seeking to overthrow the military junta.

Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, Mali has been under military rule since August 2020, when then-Colonel Assimi Goïta led a coup that ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta following protests over government corruption, the economy, and a failure to curb a growing jihadist insurgency in the north. Goïta, who was head of Mali’s special forces, initially enjoyed significant public and military support, with many Malians seeing the coup as a necessary reset to address security and governance failures. However, internal disputes within the transitional government led to a second coup in May 2021, when Goïta removed interim leaders and declared himself president. His support has since declined, with many (including in the military) dissatisfied with the same issues before the coup.

What’s going on now: In a notable development, Malian authorities disrupted an alleged coup attempt aimed at toppling the ruling junta led by General Goïta. According to multiple media outlets, security forces arrested between 20 and 50 soldiers over the last five days, many from the national guard led by Defense Minister Sadio Camara, who is increasingly viewed as a rival to Goïta. Early reports named high-profile figures such as General Abass Dembele, a respected former governor of Mopti and veteran of Mali’s northern conflicts, and Air Force General Nema Sagara, one of the country’s few high-ranking female officers, as among those detained.

The arrests have fueled speculation about deepening internal rifts within Mali’s armed forces, likely caused by the government’s increasingly authoritarian measures, such as dissolving political parties and indefinitely delaying elections.

Despite the arrests making headlines internationally, Mali’s junta has remained silent on the matter. No official statement has been issued detailing the alleged plot, the charges against those detained, or the scope of the threat posed. In addition to this, there are reports disputing that General Dembele was arrested, leading to some confusion as to what is going on.