Emmanuel Macron will not be going to Mali for the Christmas holidays.

The French president canceled the trip he was to make to this West African country due to the Covid-19 crisis, the Elysee announced on Friday, December 17.

On this occasion, he was to meet the president of the transition, Assimi Goïta, and celebrate Christmas with the French troops.

"This decision was taken for the sake of consistency between the measures announced at the national level and the president's international agenda, and for the sake of not exposing our military system at a time of deteriorating health situation in metropolitan France", explained the Élysée. 

The announcement of the cancellation was made at the end of a health defense council that met to examine new measures in the face of the fifth wave of Covid-19 and the highly contagious Omicron variant.

A difficult meeting

Paris announced on Wednesday that the Head of State was to go to Bamako on Monday for a first meeting with Colonel Assimi Goïta, in a climate of high tension between Paris and the military junta in power since 2020, whose slowness to return the power to civilians and the inclination to resort to Russian mercenaries exasperated Paris.

The presidency stressed on Friday that the organization of this meeting was difficult.

Emmanuel Macron wanted the current presidents of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) - Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo - and the G5 Sahel - Chadian Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno to participate.

A format rejected by the Chadian authorities, who wanted a bilateral interview. 

At the end of the short stage in Bamako, the French president was to leave to celebrate the traditional Christmas with the troops Monday evening and Tuesday morning at the Gao base with French soldiers deployed within the French anti-jihadist force Barkhane, in full restructuring.

The Élysée has however announced that the festive meal prepared by the head of the Élysée will be sent to the Sahel to be enjoyed by some 2,800 soldiers.

With AFP

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