Jean-Yves Le Drian, head of French diplomacy -

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The head of French diplomacy Jean-Yves Le Drian is going to Mali this Sunday and Monday in order to provide France's support to the transitional authorities after the putsch of August 18 and to try to get the country out of its spiral of jihadist violence .

This will be the first visit by a French minister to Bamako since the coup d'état and the establishment of a transition.

France has been supporting Mali militarily since 2013 in the face of jihadist outbursts from the north of the country which continues to spread towards the center and neighboring states.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, initially expected Thursday in the Malian capital, had to delay his visit due to a plane failure.

The Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly is also announced in a few days.

New authorities for new negotiations

The head of French diplomacy will meet with transitional president Bah Ndaw, a retired colonel, Prime Minister Moctar Ouane, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his counterpart Zeïni Moulaye.

Under pressure from the international community, the perpetrators of the coup pledged to return power to elected civilian leaders after a period of up to 18 months.

They have also accepted civilians at the head of the transition in which they nevertheless retain a leading role.

In the process, the Community of West African States (ECOWAS) lifted the sanctions imposed in Mali after the putsch, giving de facto international recognition to the team in place.

More than 5,000 French soldiers in the Sahel

“The new authorities have 18 months ahead of them.

They show a desire to tackle the country's problems, ”we note in Paris, pointing to the jihadist and inter-community violence, corruption and impunity which undermine Mali and led to the overthrow of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.

"We must ensure that these 18 months are not a parenthesis" and provide them with "concrete support", adds a diplomatic source.

France, which has more than 5,000 soldiers in the Sahel, reiterated after the coup d'etat its determination to continue the anti-jihadist fight in Mali, despite increasingly numerous calls to enter into negotiations with radical armed groups.

A lack of verbalization

In addition to political and military support, the visit of Jean-Yves Le Drian will also result in the signing of development aid agreements worth 140 million euros, specifies his ministry.

The minister intends for his part to obtain concrete commitments from the new Malian leaders while the recent release of several hostages, including the French Sophie Pétronin, in exchange for 200 detainees demanded by jihadist groups, has made Paris cringe.

"I observe - but I would prefer someone to tell me - that the new authorities have renewed their commitment to the joint force of the G5 Sahel, their support for the presence of (the French force) Barkhane and that the Malian army has continued the fighting during this period, ”Jean-Yves Le Drian told the Senate.

The strongman of the junta, Colonel Assimi Goïta, now vice-president, has promised to win “the war” against the jihadists while two-thirds of the country escape central authority.

On the ground, however, the situation remains very precarious.

Twelve civilians and eleven soldiers were killed again in mid-October in central Mali.

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  • Diplomacy

  • Jean-Yves Le Drian

  • Jihadism

  • Sahel

  • Mali

  • World