The resumption of cooperation between the French and Malian armies, a reciprocal need

French soldiers of Force Barkhane, in July 2019, in Mali.

Reuters / Benoit Tessier

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

To protest against Colonel Assimi Goïta's second coup at the end of May, France suspended its operations with the Malian army.

Friday evening, she decided to lift the measure.

Cooperation between the two armies is restarting.

Bamako has been informed of this.

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With our correspondent in Bamako,

Serge Daniel

The Malian authorities say they were informed of the resumption of joint military operations between the two countries through diplomatic channels, well before the publication of the official statement.

A member of the government comments: " 

It is the culmination of fruitful consultations between our two countries

 ".

Recently, the President of the Transition, Colonel Assimi Goïta, received in Bamako a French delegation composed in particular of Franck Paris, the Africa adviser of the Élysée Palace as well as Admiral Jean-Philippe Roland, Chief of Staff. of French President Emmanuel Macron.

If military cooperation between the two armies resumes rather quickly, it is also thanks to the intervention of other member countries of the G5 Sahel.

Mali, in the fight against terrorism, occupies an important place and a return to normalcy was necessary for joint military operations - which are showing results - to resume.

Several experts interviewed add that Bamako needed this resumption of joint operations, but also Paris.

According to our information, from this week, Malian and French soldiers should start to hunt together, on the ground, the jihadists.

►Also read: France announces resuming its cooperation with the Malian armed forces

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