Africa press review

In the spotlight: the rupture of the defense agreements between France and Mali

Audio 03:50

French soldiers from Operation Barkhane on patrol in Mali.

© AFP/Pascal Guyot

By: Fanny Bleichner

4 mins

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On the initiative of the Malian junta which made the announcement Monday evening, reaction yesterday from Paris: France " 

considers this decision unjustified and formally contests any violation of the bilateral legal framework which would be attributable to the Barkhane force 

".

The Burkinabè daily 

Wakatsera

speaks of "

 inexorable deterioration in relations between the two countries in conflict 

" and attempts to analyze this latest decision by Bamako: " 

There is no longer the shadow of a doubt except to pitch Wagner's tent, the Colonel Assimi Goïta and his flock are ready for anything.

However, their new hosts, whom they have long dressed in the jackets of Russian army instructors, wherever they have taken their bump, have been accused of the worst violence against the civilian population, which, moreover, seems to constitute their trademark.

Is it therefore so that these crimes (…) take place behind closed doors, without any outside witnesses, that the authorities of the Malian transition are engaged in a systematic cleaning up for the benefit of Wagner?

?

»

Guinea News

also wonders about the " 

practical implications 

" of this new rupture, in particular because of Bamako's links with Moscow.

For the Guinean site, “

 Mali is losing a strong ally in the fight against terrorism, an ally who in 2013 saved it from a partition of its territory.

(…) As far as France is concerned, it loses through its break with the junta to the benefit of a rival power, Russia, a country, Mali, which until then was in its own backyard, its area of geopolitical influence in French-speaking Africa.

France is also losing the collaboration of an important country in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel.

»

This decision by Bamako "would facilitate the offensive of jihadist groups"

This is what

Mondafrique suggests

in its investigation in the circle of Niono, in the heart of the Ségou region.

“ 

For a year, we have been in a situation of total war between dozos and jihadists, which sometimes results in real pitched battles (…) In this very tense context, the state seems powerless.

 is explained in the article.

But for

Maliweb

,

“ 

the security of the country is progressing

 ”, it is rather “ 

the aspect of political and institutional reforms which is on the spot”.

Because if Paris has complicated relations with the Malian junta, things could improve with a return of power to civilians.

But

“the authorities of the Malian transition have, until today, categorically refused that their priority be concentrated on the preparation and organization of free and transparent elections to complete this transitional period.

They

urbi et orbi

ensured that they had to "refound the state" or at least lay the foundations for this refoundation before organizing the elections to put an end to this transition.

 “Today this restructuring is not possible because” 

the coffers of the State are red “.

The question of relations between Paris and Bamako was raised yesterday before the UN Security Council, at the request of Russia.

Also on the front page, the high cost of living

And its consequences in this period of the end of Ramadan celebrated by Muslims in several countries.

The Moroccan digital media

Le 360

​​is interested in the situation in Guinea.

In the suburbs of Conakry, traders are worried: “

 People want to buy but they don't have any money.

They come here to haggle for a long time, but in the end, they can't take anything. 

“Because this year the end of Ramadan is done “

 against a background of galley for households

 ” summarizes the site without mincing words.

Illustration also in South Africa with a report in Cape Town to read on the

IOL

website .

We follow the distribution of meals by volunteers, because Eid is a time when generosity must be expressed;

it is also “

 a tradition that took root in South Africa almost 40 years ago, at the height of apartheid, by offering a plate of food to less fortunate families to celebrate the end of the month of fasting 

".

And the situation is more and more complicated because, as it is recalled, “ 

the cost of the average household food basket has increased by 8.2%

 ” in one year.

Consequence: less varied meals, " 

which has an impact on the health of households and delays the development of children 

"

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