The Malian transitional authorities have long touted the growing strength of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) and their sovereign control over national territory. Yet the opening of the Military Tribunal of Mopti in Sévaré on October 19, 2026, delivers a stark counter-narrative. With 72 defendants, including 69 soldiers, facing 43 cases—ranging from arms trafficking to desertion and even violent crimes—the courtroom reveals an institution plagued by deep structural failures from within.
The deadly paradox: state weapons fueling enemy ranks
At the heart of this judicial reckoning lies a disturbing truth about military hardware. Nearly half of the cases involve the loss, theft, or diversion of weapons, ammunition, and magazines. Behind the legal jargon, a grim security reality emerges: a significant portion of the officially issued arsenal is ending up in the hands of Mali’s adversaries.
In the central and northern operational zones, equipment siphoned off through negligence, corruption, or active collusion finds its way to fighters of the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS). While Bamako denounces alleged external support for terrorist groups, the Sévaré tribunal exposes a toxic internal supply chain thriving within barracks and ammunition depots. The irony is bitter: Malian soldiers’ blood is too often spilled by weapons paid for by the national budget.
Desertions and abuses: a force pushed to the breaking point
The second red flag is the surge in desertions, which the military prosecutor himself labels as the second most prevalent category of offenses. The rising tide of abandoned posts and unauthorized departures signals a moral collapse and a breakdown of discipline in the ranks—no longer concealable by martial rhetoric about “sacrifice.” Despite repeated calls for reintegration and ultimatums from the high command, the trend persists, thinning the troops on the ground.
Even more damning are the allegations of murder, torture, kidnapping, and sexual violence attributed to soldiers. These atrocities against civilians validate warnings from human rights organizations. By alienating local populations, such misconduct severs the military’s most vital intelligence source and hands a propaganda victory to insurgent groups, who position themselves as defenders against state abuse.
A military justice system on the brink
The very act of justice unfolding in Mopti highlights glaring weaknesses. Marketed as a display of transparency and rigor, the tribunal’s proceedings instead underscore the chronic delays of a struggling military justice system. The prosecution cites insecurity, a shortage of magistrates, and geographic remoteness as reasons for the infrequency of hearings. But the consequences are dire: prolonged pretrial detentions, condemned by the Malian Bar Association, leave some defendants languishing in prison for years without trial.
A call for self-reckoning at the highest level
For Colonel Assimi Goïta and the supreme command, the Sévaré trials must not be treated as routine cleanup or a PR exercise. They serve as a severe warning: no military strategy can succeed if the chain of command allows weapons to leak to the enemy, if discipline crumbles at the front, and if justice operates erratically. Before demanding blind trust from the population, Mali’s defense apparatus must first clean its own house and seal the leaks draining its own power.
