According to authorities, the detained members of the Armed Forces and security forces allegedly aimed to destabilize national institutions with the help of foreign states.

Government spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga confirmed the arrest of a French citizen named Yann Vezilier, who, he said, was working for the European country’s intelligence service.

This official statement comes a few days after the arrest of some 40 military personnel in connection with an alleged plot involving two high-ranking officers: Brigadier General Abass Dembele, who had been governor of the Mopti region, and Brigadier General Nema Sagara, one of Mali’s few highest-ranking female officers.

Mali’s Security Minister, General Daoud Aly Mohammedine, told reporters on Thursday that an investigation was underway and the situation was completely under control.

abo/iff/mem/fvt