A representative of the junta said the man had worked “on behalf of the French intelligence service, which mobilized political leaders, civil society actors and military personnel” to foment a coup.

The authorities also detained dozens of soldiers and accused ‘foreign states’ of trying to destabilise the country.

Mali’s military rulers say they arrested a group of military personnel and civilians, including two Malian generals and a suspected French agent, accused of attempting to destabilize the country.