Mali: Bamako reacts strongly to the words of a Nigerien minister and evokes the Wagner company
View of the city center of the Malian capital, Bamako (illustrative image).
SEBASTIEN RIEUSSEC / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
In a statement, the Malian government responded to Niger, a minister of which recently criticized the transition in Mali.
He also mentioned the Wagner affair, the Russian private military company which is in negotiations with Mali, with a view to a possible signing of a contract.
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With our correspondent in Bamako
,
Serge Daniel
In his press release, Bamako first responds to its neighbor, Niger, whose
Minister of Foreign Affairs recently criticized on RFI
the current management of Mali by the military.
"
The Malian government condemns and rejects these unacceptable, unfriendly, and condescending remarks
", one can read in a rather muscular
press
release.
It must be said that the exit of the head of the Nigerien diplomacy is considered in Bamako as a repeat offense.
A few months ago, the President of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, who never has his tongue in his pocket, had already publicly declared about the Malian junta: "
Who is going to wage war in their place?
It would be easy if every time an army from our countries fails on the ground, it comes to take power
”
On another subject, the Wagner dossier, the government also raised its tone in the first official statement since the outbreak of the affair.
Mali is surprised and wonders about the allegations according to which it is in negotiations with the Russian private military company which uses mercenaries, specifies the government.
A little further on, however, it is clearly stated that Mali "will
not allow any State to make choices for it, and even less to decide which partners it can call on or not
".
The Country is "
sovereign
" anxious to "
preserve its territorial integrity
", we can also read.
Before affixing the official stamp on the press release, Mali nevertheless declared itself "
ready
" for a frank dialogue with its partners.
► To read also: Mali: covered words, the Prime Minister evokes the Russian paramilitary company Wagner
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