A Bamako-based civil society network has sharply criticized last week’s failed coup in Mali, calling it a foreign-backed plot against regional sovereignty.
The Sahel Solidarity Campaign Network (SaS-CaN) confirmed its support for Mali’s transitional government after authorities arrested military figures and civilians—including an alleged French agent—during the August 14 disruption.
SaS-CaN’s co-founder Alimamy Bakarr Sankoh accused France of orchestrating instability to undermine the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which includes Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
“France must respect the Sahel’s voice and end its interference,” the group stated, claiming Paris uses “corrupt African leaders as pawns” to control mineral-rich territories. The network also questioned the UN Security Council’s inaction against regional terrorism.
While praising Mali’s President Assimi Goïta as a “God-sent Messiah,” the group warned of ongoing threats from “French-backed neo-colonial forces.”
It urged global pressure on France to halt alleged economic sabotage and assassination plots targeting AES leaders. Could this mark a turning point for the embattled region? For now, Sahel solidarity groups vow to defend what they call “a victory for Pan-Africanism.”
