France plans to suspend joint military operations with the Malian forces, citing the country’s second nine-month coup that led to the resignation of civilian interim presidents and prime ministers following the arrest, as well as the recent West African state suspension from the African Union (AU) and the West African Economic Community (ECOWAS). ,
Thursday’s decision came after Mali’s military strongman Assimi Goita, who led last year’s coup, fired President Bah Ndaw, Prime Minister Moctar Ouane and Defense Minister Souleymane Doucoure last week.
The move sparked diplomatic uproar and called on the United States to suspend security assistance to Malian security forces and the AU and ECOWAS to suspend Mali.
France’s armed forces said on Thursday that “demands and red lines have been made by ECOWAS and the AU to clarify the framework for the political transition in Mali.”
“Pending these guarantees, France has decided to suspend joint military operations with Malian forces and national advisory missions in their favor,” the ministry said in a statement from the Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“These decisions will be re-evaluated in the coming days in the light of responses from the Malian authorities.”
Earlier on Thursday, the international organization La Francophonie, a co-operation body mainly representing French-speaking states around the world, became the latest organization to suspend Mali.
France has about 5,100 troops in the Sahel during its Barkhane operation, which spans five countries – Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. The Barkhane force, launched after France’s intervention in Mali in 2013, will continue to operate but on its own for the time being, the ministry said.
However, the French-led Takuba force, launched in March 2020 to enable European special forces to train Mali’s army to fight extremists, will be suspended.
A diplomatic source said last week that there was a risk that the new coup could deter European countries from joining the force. A military official in Mali said on condition of anonymity that the Malian authorities had been informed of France’s suspension.
French President Emmanuel Macron warned at the weekend that France would withdraw its troops from Mali if it escalates into extremism after the coup.
Even before the latest coup, France had considered releasing its troops from the Sahel mission ahead of next year’s presidential election. Macron said in February that there would be no reduction in troops in the immediate future, but left the door open to reduce the size of France’s force, with plans to be approved this month.
“In addition to taking a principled stand, one wonders if this decision is not a way for France to allow disconnection with Barkhane into the story,” said Elie Tenenbaum, a researcher at the French Institute of International Relations. “In other words, is not (Malis) respect for the democratic process an excuse to reduce an event whose days were still numbered?”
Goita has served as vice president since leading a coup in August last year that removed democratically elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita after mass protests over perceived corruption. Following pressure from the 15-nation ECOWAS, the roles of interim president and prime minister were given to civilians before the election scheduled for February.
But on May 24, Goita orchestrated President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane, questioning his commitment to holding the election. Goita will be officially inaugurated as Mali’s interim president on Monday, when a new prime minister is also expected to be nominated.
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