France has urged the Malian authorities to immediately release one of its diplomats arrested in Bamako, stressing that he enjoys diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention. Paris described the charges against him as “illegal.”
The French government also renewed its call for French nationals in Mali to exercise heightened caution amid growing security concerns.
Meanwhile, Malian authorities announced the arrest of dozens of military officers, including senior figures such as General Abbas Dembélé, accused of plotting to “destabilize” the country with external support.
These developments come against a backdrop of heightened tensions within Mali’s military establishment, with the arrests largely targeting the National Guard, which reports directly to the current Minister of Defense.
