Mali frees 82 soldiers held since April attacks, pardons French national convicted of alleged spy plot

Mali's army announced on Thursday, August 13, that 82 soldiers held captive since coordinated nationwide attacks on April 25 had been freed, while President Assimi Goita separately issued a presidential pardon to a French national who had been sentenced to 20 years in prison for an alleged role in a plot to destabilise the country.

The April 25 attacks, claimed jointly by the regional al Qaeda affiliate Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) and the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), struck multiple military positions including the country's main airport and killed Mali's defence minister. The army described the soldiers as having been 'held hostage' by armed groups affiliated with the JNIM-FLA coalition.

In a statement, the Malian army attributed the soldiers' release to 'rigorous planning and the coordinated mobilisation of the capabilities required to carry out this type of operation.' The same two groups also claimed responsibility for a further wave of attacks on army positions across Mali on July 4.

The French national pardoned by President Goita was identified by The Straits Times, citing Reuters, as Yann Vezilier, who had been sentenced in June following a trial. According to Africanews, Vezilier held a position at the French embassy. Mali accused him of conducting activities on behalf of French intelligence services. The Malian government's statement said the pardon 'did not call into question the facts established by the conviction' and that Vezilier would be required to leave the country immediately.

The Malian government's statement said Vezilier 'was tried and convicted following a fair trial, without any interference.' According to The Straits Times, the French foreign ministry had previously stated that Vezilier was carrying out a security cooperation mission and denied the accusations; it did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

Mali has been contending with Islamist insurgencies since 2012. According to The Straits Times, JNIM was founded in 2017 and has grown stronger since military officers who seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021 expelled approximately 15,000 French and United Nations soldiers and turned to Russian military support. Africanews describes the security situation as having deteriorated following those coups.

Relations between Mali and France have been strained since the military takeovers. Paris withdrew troops that had been involved in counter-insurgency operations in the Sahel region, and Mali cut military ties with France. The broader pattern of souring relations between France and its former West African colonies — including Burkina Faso and Niger — has accompanied military governments taking power across the region, according to The Straits Times.

• The specific circumstances and mechanism by which the 82 soldiers were freed — whether through negotiation, military operation, or another means — are not established by any source.
• No source confirms whether any conditions or concessions were attached to the soldiers' release.
• The current status or whereabouts of the freed soldiers and their reported physical condition are not described.
• The French foreign ministry had not responded to a request for comment at the time of reporting on the pardon of Vezilier.
• No source establishes what, if any, diplomatic exchange or communication between Paris and Bamako preceded the pardon.
• The full details of the June trial and the evidence presented against Vezilier are not described in any source.
• The position or response of JNIM and the FLA regarding the release of the soldiers is not provided.

1. Africanews — original — by @africanews
2. The Straits Times — by The Straits Times
3. The Straits Times — by The Straits Times

Read the original at Africanews

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