Since seizing the reins in Mali through back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, the west African country's junta has ramped up repression of its critics in the face of widespread jihadist unrest.

"Since three days ago, there have been arrests linked to an attempt to destabilise the institutions. There have been at least around 20 arrests," a Malian security source told AFP.

A separate source within the army confirmed an "attempt at destabilisation", adding: "We have gone ahead with the necessary arrests".

Among those arrested was General Abass Dembele, a former governor of the central Mopti region and a respected military officer.

"Soldiers came early this morning (Sunday) to arrest General Abass Dembele in Kati," on the outskirts of the capital Bamako, a figure close to the officer said.

"They have not told him why he was arrested."

A member of the National Transition Council, the junta-backed parliament, spoke of "around 50 arrests".

"All are soldiers. Their objective was to overthrow the junta," the lawmaker said.

- 'Grumblings within the ranks' -

Since 2012 Mali has been wracked with crises on various fronts, with militants linked to the Al-Qaeda or Islamic State groups carrying out violent attacks across the Sahel nation.

Criminal and sectarian violence are likewise rife, while the economy is in dire straits.

After the coups, the junta turned its back on France, arguing that the country should be free of its former colonial ruler, as have its fellow military-run allies in Niger and Burkina Faso.

It has forged ties with new allies, notably Russia, whose mercenaries from the paramilitary Wagner group and its successor Africa Corps have helped the military fight jihadists and other internal adversaries.

Yet, like Niger and Burkina Faso, Mali has continued to struggle to contain the jihadist threat, while the regular army and its Russian allies are frequently accused of committing atrocities against civilians.

For Malian sociologist Oumar Maiga, this latest purge was "proof that the officers are struggling to control the situation. There are grumblings within the army's ranks".

"Some soldiers are not happy with the treatment given to the Russian mercenaries at the expense of Malian soldiers," Maiga added.