After the second military coup in Mali in a year, France has drawn consequences and temporarily suspended joint military operations with the Malian armed Forces. Paris expects the implementation of the roadmap of the West African economic Community Ecowas and the African Union for the return of a civilian government in Bamako, said a statement from the Ministry of Defense on Thursday evening, which was provided to the AFP news agency.
In anticipation of this, France has “decided to temporarily suspend joint military operations with the Malian Armed Forces,” the ministry continued. In Mali, the second coup in nine months took place last week. Following the ousting of the former interim president Bah Ndaw and the head of government Moctar Ouane, the Constitutional Court had declared Colonel Assimi Goïta, who had already led the first coup, as the new interim president.
The international community strongly condemned the latest developments in Mali. French President Emmanuel Macron warned that France could withdraw its 5,100 troops in the region if Mali under Goïta drifts into radical Islamism.
In addition to the former colonial power France, Germany is also using the Bundeswehr as part of EU and UN missions in Mali with up to 1,700 soldiers to help stabilize the country. In Germany, too, the use is now being questioned.
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), however, only a few days ago spoke out against a withdrawal of troops. “We believe that our presence on the ground is still important,” Merkel said after video consultations of the Franco-German Council of Ministers.
Since 2013, the EU has been supporting, advising and training the armed forces in the region in order to effectively counter threats from terrorist groups. Islamist terrorist groups have been active in Mali for years.
