New manifestation of the deterioration of relations between Bamako and its former allies.

The junta in power in Mali announced, Monday evening, May 2, to break the defense agreements with France and its European partners.

Carrying out a threat brandished for months, the authorities dominated by the military who came to power by force in August 2020 announced that they were "denouncing" the Status of Force Agreements (

Status of Force Agreements

, called "Sofa") setting the framework of the presence in Mali of the French Barkhane and European Takuba forces, as well as the defense cooperation treaty concluded on July 16, 2014 between Mali and France.

To justify this decision, the government spokesman, Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga, invoked in a statement read on national television the "serious shortcomings" and "flagrant attacks on national sovereignty" on the part of France, committed militarily in the country since 2013.

He cited France's "unilateral attitude" when it suspended joint operations between French and Malian forces in June 2021, the announcement in February 2022, "again without any consultation of the Malian side", of the withdrawal of the Barkhane and Takuba forces, and the "multiple violations" of airspace by French aircraft despite the establishment by the authorities of a no-fly zone over a large part of the territory.

A decision that further deteriorates relations

The Malian authorities notified this denunciation Monday afternoon to the French authorities.

It will take effect six months after this notification, said Abdoulaye Maïga.

On the other hand, it is with "immediate effect" that the Malian authorities denounce the Sofa of March 2013 framing the commitment of the French force Serval, then Barkhane, as well as the additional protocol of March 2020 applying to the European detachments of Takuba , the grouping of European special units initiated by France, he said.

The announcement by the Malian authorities further poisons relations between two former allies who together fought the jihadist contagion from the north of this poor and landlocked country.

It has since reached neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, and threatens to spread even further south to the Gulf of Guinea. 

The French army accused of "espionage" and "subversion"

Relations deteriorated between Bamako and Paris after the second coup led by the colonels in May 2021 against a president and a Prime Minister they had installed themselves, then the revocation by the colonels of their commitment to return power to civilians in February 2022.

The tensions worsened as the junta approached Russia.

France and its allies accuse the Malian authorities of securing the services of the controversial Russian private company Wagner.

The government disputes and speaks of old state-to-state collaboration.

Mali expelled the French ambassador in January.

Already at the time, Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop was considering the denunciation, if necessary, of the cooperation treaty.

Mali had asked for amendments in December, arguing that certain provisions were contrary to national sovereignty.

The colonels took a very dim view of Barkhane continuing to operate in the Malian sky.

Last week, the junta accused the French army of "espionage" and "subversion" after the broadcast by the French general staff of videos shot by a drone near the Gossi base (center) returned in April by France.

Two days after this restitution, the French army had, to counter what it described as an "informational attack", published a video of what it said were Russian mercenaries burying bodies near this base. to accuse France of war crimes.

With AFP

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