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- A number of western countries have denounced the presence of Russian mercenaries in Mali. Fifteen countries including France, Germany and Canada condemned the deployment of paramilitary company Wagner on Malian territory in a joint letter
- French president, Emmanuel Macron, said that the presence of Wagner’s forces in Mali would be incompatible with the presence of French soldiers.
A number of western countries have denounced the presence of Russian mercenaries in Mali. Fifteen countries including France, Germany and Canada condemned the deployment of paramilitary company Wagner on Malian territory in a joint letter.
Earlier, French president, Emmanuel Macron, said that the presence of Wagner’s forces in Mali would be incompatible with the presence of French soldiers. Recently, Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Moscow’s proposals for framing relations between Russia and Europe. The two leaders also discussed Mali.
Last June, France began reorganizing its military presence in Mali focusing on the borders of Niger and Burkina Faso after a lapse of almost nine years in the Sahel region.
The French plan is to reduce the military presence in the region from 5,000 to a maximum of 3,000 by 2023.
