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Numerous arrests following coup allegations in Mali
On Tuesday, Mali’s former prime minister, Choguel Kokalla Maïga, was arrested on corruption charges. Maïga, once a close ally of the military junta and prime minister of the transitional government until his dismissal in November 2024, had become increasingly critical towards junta leader and President General Assimi Goïta this year. In addition to him, more than 30 military personnel and civilians have been arrested in recent days. They are accused of attempting to destabilise the Malian government with foreign support, as Security Minister General Daoud Aly Mohammedine explained in an initial public statement on Thursday evening. Among them is a French citizen whom the military junta accuses of acting on behalf of the French secret service. When asked, the French Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the alleged arrest or the accusations of foreign interference.
According to reports, those detained also include General Abass Dembélé, former governor of the Mopti region, who was recently removed from office by the junta, and Brigadier General Nema Sagara, one of the highest-ranking women in the Malian military. Many of those arrested are said to belong to the National Guard, a military unit led by Defence Minister General Sadio Camara, who is increasingly seen in military circles as a rival to Head of State Goïta.
Media reports say the wave of arrests was triggered by a meeting on the night of 25 July at the military camp in Kati, where Goïta and intelligence chief Modibo Koné met with ten high-ranking officers, including Dembélé and Sagara. During the meeting, strategic decisions made by the junta were supposedly openly questioned and the lack of honouring fallen soldiers was criticised. Koné then warned Goïta of a possible coup, whereupon Goïta ordered the arrests.
The recent arrests are considered the first known case in which soldiers from within their own ranks have been arrested on suspicion of a coup – an indication of growing tensions within the military. At the same time, the junta is cracking down on critical voices. On 1 August, former Prime Minister Moussa Mara (2014-2015) was also taken into custody after publicly expressing his support for imprisoned critics of the regime.
Following the coups in 2020 and 2021, Mali’s military leaders took power with the promise of restoring security in the country. Like its neighbors Burkina Faso and Niger, Mali is struggling with militant Islamist groups that control large parts of the north and center of the country. Despite this promise and the realignment—away from France and toward military cooperation with Russia—there has recently been an increase in attacks and clashes. Growing political repression is also leading to growing discontent among the population. The handover of power to a civilian government, planned for March 2024, has been postponed without a new timeframe. In May, protests against military rule broke out, prompting Goïta to ban all political activities by parties and associations (Press Review CW 19/2025). Discontent also grew in July over the adoption of a law granting Goïta a five-year term without elections, with the possibility of unlimited extensions. According to observers, this move is seen not only by civil society forces but also by parts of the military as a sign of an increasingly authoritarian course. Following the wave of arrests, the situation remains tense; military presence and roadblocks in the capital Bamako have recently been stepped up. August 18 marks the fifth anniversary of the coup – it remains to be seen whether there will be further protests.
Uganda’s President Museveni on a working visit to Egypt
On Wednesday, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni concluded his three-day working visit to Cairo, where he was received by his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. The aim of the trip was to strengthen bilateral relations and coordinate on regional developments. During the visit, representatives of both governments signed several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on Tuesday that provide for closer cooperation in various areas. These include security, foreign policy, economy and trade, as well as agriculture and rural development. Measures were agreed upon for technology transfer, land reclamation, and the promotion of trade, investment, and joint economic projects. At the joint press conference, Museveni welcomed Egypt’s support in establishing a vaccine factory for foot-and-mouth disease in Uganda. Water and environmental issues were also on the agenda. Both countries signaled closer cooperation on water management, irrigation, and environmental protection. In addition, the foreign ministers signed a framework for foreign policy cooperation. Next to bilateral issues, current regional conflicts were discussed, including the situation in Sudan, Libya, and Gaza.
An important item on the agenda was the joint opening of the first Egypt–Uganda Business Forum by Museveni and Al-Sisi on Tuesday. Under the motto “Strengthening Trade and Investment Cooperation between Uganda and Egypt,” government and business representatives discussed opportunities for intensifying economic cooperation through business-to-business activities, business-to-government dialogues, joint ventures, and the expansion of strategic partnerships. According to Museveni, the goal is to double the bilateral trade volume, which amounted to only around 133 million US dollars in 2024 despite the geographical proximity of the two countries. Both presidents called for the establishment of a joint economic council. Al-Sisi described Uganda as an important partner in the southern Nile region and announced that the country should benefit more from Egyptian development initiatives for the Nile Basin states, such as the construction of the planned Angololo Dam between Uganda and Kenya.
At the joint press conference on Tuesday, Al-Sisi also commented on the ongoing tensions between the countries bordering the Nile. He emphasized that Egypt would not tolerate any existential threat to its water resources and would take all steps provided for under international law to protect its population if necessary. The background to this is the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which Ethiopia has built on the upper reaches of the Nile. While Egypt and Sudan fear disadvantages for their water supply, Ethiopia sees the dam as central to its development. The Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), also known as the Entebbe Accord, is also causing tensions. It provides for a new regulation of water distribution and allows the upstream countries of the Nile to implement water projects without the consent of the downstream countries. While Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, and most recently South Sudan have ratified the agreement, the downstream countries Egypt and Sudan reject it. They rely on older agreements that grant them more extensive rights of use over the Nile.
Both sides viewed the visit as an important step towards promoting African cooperation and economic integration. The role of regional economic communities such as COMESA, the East African Community, and the African Continental Free Trade Area in the continent’s economic development was also highlighted.
In other news
On Monday, Mali’s military government began returning the historic Timbuktu Manuscripts from the capital Bamako to their city of origin. The writings, some of which date back to the 13th century, had been brought there for safekeeping in 2012 after Islamist groups captured Timbuktu and destroyed around 4,000 manuscripts and numerous mausoleums. Brave librarians managed to bring around 27,000 manuscripts to safety overnight. A key figure in this rescue is Dr Abdel Kader Haidara, director of the Mamma Haidara Memorial Library, who organised the secret evacuation and received the German Africa Award from the German Africa Foundation in 2014 for his efforts. The manuscripts, which have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, cover a wide range of topics, including Islamic theology and law, astronomy, medicine, mathematics, history, and geography. They are considered an important testimony to the cultural heritage of the Mali and Songhai empires in West Africa. According to Bouréma Kansaye, Mali’s Minister of Higher Education, the further digitisation, preservation, and scientific research of the works is now the declared goal of the repatriation.