Accusing France of an "abandonment in full flight" with its decision to withdraw the Barkhane force, the Prime Minister of Mali Choguel Kokalla Maïga justified, on Saturday September 25, the need for his country to "seek other partners" .

"The new situation born at the end of Barkhane, placing Mali in front of a fait accompli and exposing it to a kind of abandonment in mid-flight, leads us to explore ways and means to better ensure security independently with d 'other partners,' he said from the podium of the United Nations General Assembly.

It is a question of "filling the vacuum which will not fail to create the closing of certain rights-of-way of Barkhane in the north of Mali", specified the Prime Minister.

He also deplored a "lack of consultation" and a "unilateral" announcement without tripartite coordination with the UN and the Malian government.

In a context of increased jihadist threat, "the French operation Barkhane suddenly announces its withdrawal with a view, it is said, of a transformation into an international coalition, all the contours of which are not yet known", also said Choguel Kokalla Maïga. 

The Prime Minister demanded that in view of the developments to come, while the Malian people have the right to live in security, the UN Minusma peace mission and its 15,000 peacekeepers have "a more offensive posture in the field".

He finally assured that there was "no anti-Minusma feeling in Mali, no more than an anti-French feeling".

Sergey Lavrov confirms Mali's use of Wagner militia

Shortly before, the head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, also in New York, had confirmed that Bamako had approached "Russian private companies", implying the Wagner group, while assuring that this did not concern the Russian government in any way.

France and the European Union are concerned about this orientation of Mali towards Russia during exchanges in New York, said Sergey Lavrov.

"The Malian authorities have turned to a private Russian military company because, if I understand correctly, France wants to significantly reduce its military forces which were supposed to fight the terrorists in Kidal," said the Russian minister.

The French "did not arrive there and the terrorists continue to reign in this region", he added in a pique with regard to Barkhane.

"All this is done on a legitimate basis", between a "legitimate government, recognized by all" and entities which "provide services through foreign specialists", he argued.

"We have nothing to do with it," he insisted, Russia systematically denying that private Russian paramilitary companies are subordinate to it.

"At the governmental level, Russia contributes to the military defense capabilities of Mali", also affirmed Sergey Lavrov, referring to the supply of "technical military equipment".

And to estimate: "it would be better to synchronize the action of the European Union and Russia in the fight against terrorism, not only in Mali but also in the region of the Sahel and the Sahara".

With AFP and Reuters

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