(4 minutes read)
· French Defense Minister Florence Parly met her counterpart in Mali Colonel Sadio Camara yesterday (Monday), amid rising tensions in the war-torn Sahel state
· The reason for growing tension is said to be reports that Mali plans to hire Russian mercenaries
· France last week warned Bamako against signing a deal with private-security firm Wagner. There was a report that Mali’s army-dominated government was drafting 1,000 paramilitaries from Russia
· However, there was no response from Mali to this assertion from the French minister. France has made it clear that it was against recruitment of mercenaries
French Defense Minister Florence Parly met her counterpart in Mali Colonel Sadio Camara yesterday (Monday), amid rising tensions in the war-torn Sahel state. The reason for growing tension is said to be reports that Mali plans to hire Russian mercenaries. France last week warned Bamako against signing a deal with private-security firm Wagner. There was a report that Mali’s army-dominated government was drafting 1,000 paramilitaries from Russia. However, there was no response from Mali to this assertion from the French minister. France has made it clear that it was against recruitment of mercenaries.
It is widely believed that the Russian private-security firm-Wagner- is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. They said to have a reputation of committing atrocities. Parly’s visit comes after months of tense relations between Mali and France. Recently, two military coups were committed in Mali within the space of one year. France is skeptic about military junta’s commitment to hold swift elections to return Mali to civilian rule. Amidst these tensions, France is contemplating a major reduction in the troop presence in the Sahel region, with several French army bases in northern Mali set to close by early 2022.
Russian influence in African region is growing. They are positioning paramilitaries, private-security instructors and companies in Africa in recent years. This development is mostly noticed in the conflict-ridden Central African Republic (CAR). The United Nations (UN) also strongly reacted to the presence of Russian agents in the country. The UN has kept 13,000 peacekeepers in the country of 19 million people. The other country, which has troops in the region, is Germany and is threatening to reconsider its decision. Mali is going through a political crisis. Army strongman Colonel Assimi Goita overthrew the leaders of the interim government in May — in a second coup — and was later declared interim president himself. Goita has pledged to respect a February 2022 deadline for civilian elections set by the previous interim government.
