The ruling junta in Mali announced on Monday night that it would break defense agreements with France and its European partners, a new demonstration of the deteriorating relations between Bamako and its former allies in the fight against jihadists.
In carrying out the threat branded for months, the military -led authorities announced it had come to power by force in August 2020 denounce Status of Force Agreements, or Sofa) which sets out the legal framework for the presence in Mali of French Barkhane and European Takuba forces, as well as the defense cooperation agreement concluded in 2014 between Mali and France.
In a statement read on national television, government spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga urged explicit violations from France, which has been militarily engaged in the country since 2013, to national sovereignty.
One-sided attitude
He quoted unilateral attitude of France when it suspended in June 2021 the joint operation between French and Malian forces, the announcement in February 2022, again without any consultation of the Malian sidethe removal of the forces of Barkhane and Takuba, and the many violations airspace of French aircraft despite the establishment of no-fly zone authorities in large parts of the territory.
Because of these serious shortcomings as well as open attacks on Mali’s national sovereignty, the government of the Republic of Mali decided to denounce the defense cooperation agreement on July 16, 2014.did he declare.
Malian authorities notified this denunciation Monday afternoon to the French authorities and it will take effect six months after this notice, he specified.
On the other hand, it is included immediate effect that the Mali authorities denounced the Sofa of March 2013 outlining the commitment of the French force Serval, then Barkhane, as well as the additional protocol of March 2020 applying to the European detachment of Takuba, the grouping of European special units initiated by France, he said.
No official reaction was obtained initially in Paris.
The condemnation of Sofa will it have effects on Barkhane’s continued withdrawal, announced in February as the culmination of months of escalating tension? The question arose that this removal, a large and dangerous operation, should take place within four to six months.
The announcement by the Malian authorities further poisoned the relationship between the two former allies who jointly fought the jihadist contagion from the north of this poor and landlocked country. It has since reached nearby Niger and Burkina Faso, and threatens to spread further south to the Gulf of Guinea. It caused thousands of deaths in Mali, civilians and fighters, and left the country on the verge of sinking, the authorities themselves admit.
Relations between Bamako and Paris deteriorated after a second coup led by the colonels in May 2021 against a president and a prime minister they themselves installed, then the colonels ’repeal of their promise to restore the power over civilians in February 2022.
Tensions escalated as the junta approached Russia. France and its allies have accused the Malian authorities of securing the services of Russia’s controversial private company Wagner. The government is disputing and citing the old state-to-state partnership.
Mali ousted the French ambassador in January.
At the time, Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop was considering denouncing, if necessary, the cooperation agreement. Mali demanded changes in December, arguing that certain provisions were contrary to national sovereignty.
The colonels saw Barkhane constantly moving in the Malian skies.
Last week, the junta accused the French armyspying and of subversion after the French general staff broadcast videos taken by the drone near the Gossi base (center) were returned by France in April.
Two days after this restoration, the French army had, to contradict what it describedinformation attackspublished a video of what it said Russian mercenaries were burying bodies near this base to accuse France of war crimes.
Source: Radio-Canada
