Chad wants to reassure Mali and save the G5 Sahel
Abderaman Koulamallah, spokesman for the Chadian government, March 21, 2008. AFP - FRANCK FIFE
Text by: David Baché
2 mins
A Chadian delegation was in Bamako on Friday May 20.
with one objective: to ease tensions, after Mali's decision to withdraw from the G5 Sahel political-military alliance.
Government spokesman Abderaman Koulamallah met with Mali's transitional president, Colonel Assimi Goïta.
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Earlier this week,
Mali announced its withdrawal from the G5 Sahel political-military alliance
.
Bamako was to take the rotating presidency from February, but the national political context led the G5 countries not to allow it.
At issue: the
showdown with ECOWAS
for the organization of future elections in Mali.
Chad has retained the presidency of the G5 but in no way seeks conflict with Mali, the angry party of the G5 Sahel to defend its flouted sovereignty.
Chadian Minister Abderaman Koulamallah, spokesman for the government, came to tell the Malian transitional president, Colonel
Assimi Goïta
, that it is not against Chad that we should be angry:
“
Chad attaches great importance to its bilateral relations with Mali and wanted to reiterate that in no case was it responsible for the problems that led to Mali's departure from the G5-Sahel.
Chad has no problem with Mali.
»
Niger's President, Mohamed Bazoum, recently declared that Mali's withdrawal marked the
"
death
" of the G5 Sahel
.
Chadian Minister Abderaman Koulamallah does not share this opinion: “
The G5-Sahel was designed under the presidency of Mali.
This puts you in a bit of trouble.
We are still optimistic that everything will return to normal.
The G5-Sahel is still present.
»
Chad therefore asks Mali to reconsider its position.
Ndjamena ensures that he is consulting with other member countries in order to respond to Malian concerns.
In short: to allow Bamako to finally ensure the rotating presidency of the G5.
Finally, to those who wondered, after the Malian departure of the G5 Sahel, about a possible withdrawal of Chadian soldiers present in Mali within the Minusma battalions, Minister Koulamallah reassures: there is no question.
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Chad
mali
G5 Sahel
Assimi Goita
ECOWAS