The ruling junta in Mali led by Assimi Goïta, declared Monday evening to have foiled an attempted putsch on the night of May 11 to 12. The attempt was carried out by Malian officers who were allegedly backed by a Western country, the junta said. Reinforced security measures have already been taken.
Road checkpoints have been set up at borders and at all entrances to Bamako. This is one of the main measures taken by the Malian transitional government which was almost surprised by a coup.
This failed attempt shows how much the West is against the process of real decolonization of Mali. The announcement made by the junta comes a little more to ignite the powder on the already very tense relations with Western countries. But the junta is clear on this, the attempt orchestrated by officers of the Malian army was manipulated by a Western state whose identity has not been revealed.
The press release states that: “With the unhealthy intention of breaking the dynamics of rebuilding Mali, a small group of Malian anti-progressive officers and non-commissioned officers attempted a coup on the night of May 11 to 12, 2022. The attempt was thwarted thanks to the vigilance and professionalism of the defense and security forces. The identity and whereabouts of the insurgents were not disclosed, however.
The main mutineers arrested are not the only ones. Thanks to the road checks installed at the borders and at the gates of the capitals, several other arrests have been made and some are in progress. In the press release, the transitional government specifies: “All the necessary means are mobilized for the investigation and the search for accomplices”. The junta calls on the populations to calm down and reassures that the situation is under control.
Since 2012, jihadists have plunged Mali into security and political crises. Dissatisfied with the management of the former government in the pay of France, a group of Colonels led by Assimi Goïta orchestrated two coups. First in August 2020, then in May 2021. Having taken over the reins, the ruling junta turned away from France and several Western countries. This resulted in the withdrawal of French Barkhane troops from Mali, the dismissal of the French ambassador to his country and recently the banning of the media France 24 and Radio France Internationale (RFI) on Malian territory. A pill that is probably hard to pass. Despite sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the international community, the junta holds firm. It is safe to say that the sovereignty of all of Africa is currently being played out in Mali.
