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Mali’s military leader, General Assimi Goita, has pardoned a French intelligence agent who was serving a 20-year prison sentence, marking a rare conciliatory move between Bamako and its former colonial power after years of strained relations.
The French national, identified as Yann V., was arrested in August 2025 and accused by Mali’s authorities of espionage and undermining state security. He was sentenced in June following a trial that further deepened tensions between the two countries.
In a statement shared on Facebook on Thursday, Mali’s government said the pardon “does not call into question the facts established by an adversarial judgment rendered during trial.” It added that the decision would lead to the “immediate removal of the individual from national territory.”
The junta described the move as a reflection of General Goita’s “commitment to peace and dialogue,” as well as Mali’s “ancestral values of forgiveness, hospitality and magnanimity.”
France has consistently rejected the accusations against Yann V., describing the charges as “baseless.” The French foreign ministry said the agent was carrying out a security cooperation mission and that France had never participated, directly or indirectly, in any effort to destabilise Mali.
Following his arrest, France suspended counter-terrorism cooperation with Mali and expelled two Malian diplomats from its territory. Several Malian military officers arrested alongside Yann V. remain in custody and are accused of being part of an alleged espionage and coup network.
Mali’s statement acknowledged the involvement of a “brotherly country” whose discreet efforts helped secure the pardon. A Malian military source told French newspaper Le Monde that Morocco may have played a role in facilitating the agreement.
The decision comes as Mali faces mounting security challenges. Since April, the country has experienced a wave of attacks linked to a coalition of Tuareg insurgents from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM). The violence has resulted in the death of Mali’s defence minister and the temporary capture of strategic northern areas, including Kidal.
The junta has moved closer to Russia in recent years while reducing military ties with France, which withdrew its 2,400 troops from Mali in 2022.
Meanwhile, Mali’s army announced the release of 82 soldiers held by JNIM and the Front de Libération de l’Azawad, with Algeria reportedly helping to facilitate the release. The development follows efforts by Mali and Algeria to repair relations after more than a year of diplomatic tensions.
