In a press release published on Monday, May 2, the ruling junta in Bamako announced that it would denounce the defense agreements concluded with Paris and its European partners, citing the "deep deterioration of military cooperation with France" and its "flagrant attacks on the sovereignty of Mali."
Three texts are concerned: the 2013 agreement governing the presence of French forces and therefore of the soldiers of the "Barkhane" anti-terrorist operation, deployed for eight years in the Sahel; the defense treaty signed in 2014 to organize structural military cooperation between Paris and Bamako; and the additional protocol determining the status of the European special forces engaged in the "Task Force Takuba," which has been operating in the North since 2020.
The ruling junta declared the denunciation of the defense treaty would take effect in six months. However, the other treaties – "Barkhane" and "Takuba" are regarded as null and void with 'immediate effect." In consequence, Malian authorities regard the presence of French and European soldiers on its soil as illegal.
The relations between Malian and French authorities deteriorated entirely in February when Emmanuel Macron announced the French military withdrawal from Mali after months of growing tensions. Bamako then summoned France to "withdraw its soldiers immediately". Then, the French president announced a coordinated withdrawal "within four to six months."
Paris reacted on Tuesday to Mali's decision to end its military cooperation agreement with France, calling it "unjustified." French troops have been present in Mali since 2013, shortly after the outbreak of an Islamist insurgency in the North of the country.
In the meantime, Malian authorities tightened their cooperation with the Russian Wagner group, which insisted on placing "no armed soldiers, just army trainers." Human Rights Watch (HRW) claimed the forces committed the infamous Moura massacre.
Comments