Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on August 16, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
A French embassy employee in Mali was arrested on unfounded charges, violating diplomatic conventions. France is seeking dialogue to resolve the issue.
PARIS (Reuters) -A French man arrested in Mali is a member of the French embassy in the capital Bamako and accusations against him are "unfounded", the French foreign office said in a statement to Reuters on Saturday.
The embassy worker, named as Yann Vezilier by the Malian government in a statement on Thursday, was arrested in recent weeks alongside two generals and other military personnel and accused of participating in an alleged plot to destabilise the West African nation.
"Dialogue is underway to clear up any misunderstanding," the ministry statement said. It added that his arrest was in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
France's once close relationship with its former colonies in West Africa's Sahel region has soured in recent years since a series of military coups overthrew governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
(Reporting by Layli Foroudi; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
A French man named Yann Vezilier, a member of the French embassy in Bamako, was arrested.
The French foreign office stated that the accusations against Yann Vezilier are 'unfounded.'
The French foreign office mentioned that the arrest of Yann Vezilier violates the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
France's relationship with its former colonies in West Africa, including Mali, has soured in recent years due to a series of military coups.
The French foreign office indicated that dialogue is underway to clear up any misunderstandings regarding the arrest.
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