Spy Game in the Sahel: Mali Exposes French Plot, Arrests Secret Operative
The political theatre in Mali has just taken a dramatic turn worthy of a Cold War spy novel. In a move that blends cloak-and-dagger intrigue with the brutal realities of Sahelian geopolitics, Mali’s military junta says it has uncovered an elaborate plot to topple its government—implicating two of its own generals and a suspected French agent.
This is not just another coup attempt in West Africa’s turbulent belt. It is a calculated narrative by the junta that fits neatly into a broader storyline of sovereignty under siege, foreign interference, and the shadowy reach of Western intelligence in a region increasingly hostile to France’s lingering influence. For Mali’s rulers, it’s an opportunity to paint themselves as guardians of national security against a hidden enemy—one that wears a suit in Paris but moves pawns on the ground in Bamako.
The alleged French operative’s arrest is a gift to the junta’s propaganda machine. It reinforces the anti-French sentiment that has grown since Paris was pushed out of Mali in 2022, replaced by closer security ties with Russia’s Wagner-linked forces. The public is being fed a potent cocktail of patriotism and paranoia, with the junta casting its struggle as part of a wider “spy war” over the Sahel’s future.
But questions remain. Is this a genuine case of espionage, or a masterstroke in political theatre designed to rally public opinion, justify crackdowns, and strengthen Mali’s hand in an ongoing ideological battle with the West? Either way, the optics are clear: in the high-stakes spy game unfolding in the Sahel, the junta has just played a bold card, and the ripples will be felt well beyond Mali’s borders.
- ADF magazine
