Mali begins to withdraw its soldiers from the G5 Sahel

With the departure of Mali, the G5 Sahel is no more.

© AFP-Sebastien Rieussec

Text by: David Baché

2 mins

Bamako announced on May 15 its withdrawal from the G5 Sahel, after noting that the rotating presidency of the organization, which belonged to it in principle, was in fact not granted to it.

Advertising

Read more

The G5 is a political and military coalition which brings together, in addition to Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Chad, and one of whose main objectives is the fight against terrorism.

Chad had nevertheless tried to save the G5, asking Mali to reconsider its decision and working to find a way out of the crisis.

But the Malian authorities have not changed their position: they have even just issued instructions for the disengagement of Malian soldiers assigned to the joint G5 force in the next few days.

It was the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Mali who gave the order on Tuesday, June 14.

In a classified document, which has conveniently leaked, General Oumar Diarra puts an end to the engagement of Malian soldiers assigned to the G5 command post in Bamako, to the west zone in Nema in Mauritania, and to the center zone in Niamey in Niger. .

In total, nearly 1,400 men, out of the 5,000 that make up the joint force of the G5.

Arrangements have also been made for the repatriation of Malian soldiers stationed in neighboring countries.

As for those based in Bamako, they will be reassigned to their original departments as of July 1, in two weeks.

A month ago,

, exceeded not to have been able to take the rotating presidency of the organization in February, as planned.

In question, the opposition of Niger, because of the Malian political context: transition since the military coup of August 2020 and negotiations still in progress with ECOWAS for a return to constitutional order.

Argument deemed inadmissible by Bamako, who accused France in passing of being on the move. 

Chad had indeed urgently dispatched an emissary to Bamako

, to try to convince the Malian transitional president, Colonel Assimi Goïta, to reconsider his decision.

Consultations had also been launched with the other members of the G5 to try to respond to Malian concerns and save the organization. 

In vain: Mali persists and therefore signs the death notice of the G5. 

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• G5 Sahel

• mali