In a meeting with foreign diplomats in Bamako, the Malian Prime Minister accuses France of seeking to divide his country

Malian Prime Minister Shogle Kokala Maiga accused, in front of diplomats accredited in Bamako, France of having worked to divide his country with its military presence in it.

Maiga - who was appointed by the ruling military council after two successive coups in August 2020 and June 2021 - held France for 45 minutes in front of diplomats he invited to the government headquarters, without explicitly calling for the withdrawal of the "Barkhane" force that is fighting the militants led by France.

Maiga said that after the period of joy and enthusiasm in 2013, when French soldiers liberated northern Mali from the grip of armed groups, "it was impossible to intervene in a second stage, a de facto division of Mali, based on the establishment of a sanctuary on a part of our territory that allowed the terrorists time to seek refuge and reorganize their ranks to return in force, starting from 2014".

And the ruling military junta in Bamako has been stressing the country's sovereignty since the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed sanctions on Mali on January 9, backed by France and other partner countries.

The Malian authorities accuse France - the country's former colonial power - of using ECOWAS to achieve its goals.

France and the European and American partners blame the ruling military council for delaying the return of civilians to power, and for hiring the Russian "Wagner" group of mercenaries, which the council denies doing.

In early February, the ruling military council in Bamako expelled the French ambassador to Mali.

press expulsion

In the context of the ongoing conflict with France, a special envoy for the magazine "Jeune Afrique" was arrested and then expelled from Mali, hours after his arrival in Bamako, according to what the French magazine's management announced, denouncing an "unjustified measure that contradicts media freedom."

"The Jean Afrique administration condemns the decision taken by the financial authorities to expel their envoy, Benjamin Roger," the magazine said in a statement.

She added that the special envoy had "a regular entry visa and did not hide his profession."