Mali has asked the UN Security Council for an emergency meeting to put an end to what it presents as France's "acts of aggression" in the form of violations of its sovereignty, support provided, according to it, to the jihadist and spy groups.

With these accusations, the government dominated by the military junta takes the verbal escalation of its incriminations against France to a new level.

The commander of the French force Barkhane judged, Wednesday August 17, the remark "insulting" for the memory of the French and Malian soldiers and the peacekeepers killed in Mali, a country caught in the jihadist and security turmoil since 2012.

"It's a bit insulting to the memory of our 59 comrades who fell fighting for Mali, and also to the memory of all the Malians who fought alongside us, but also the personnel of the Minusma, the African forces of Minusma who fell fighting against terrorism," General Bruno Baratz told Radio France Internationale in Niger, a neighboring country of Mali and an ally of France which has accepted the maintenance of a French air base in Niamey.

"France has obviously never supported, directly or indirectly, these terrorist groups, which remain its designated enemies throughout the planet", indicated for its part on Twitter the French Embassy in Mali, stressing that 53 French soldiers had died in Mali over the past nine years.

The diplomatic representation also recalled that "in all the press releases of the terrorist groups, France was until his departure designated as the number one enemy. The main objective claimed by these jihadists was the departure of Barkhane."

7) France has obviously never supported, directly or indirectly, these terrorist groups, which remain its designated enemies throughout the planet.

– France in Mali (@FranceauMali) August 17, 2022

Asked about the accusations made by Mali against France, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations was "extremely grateful to France and the French forces for their commitment" to stabilizing the mali.

Farhan Haq hoped to the press, without naming anyone, that any other country cooperating with the Malian authorities would try "likewise to play a stabilizing role".

As for an emergency Council meeting, he said the decision was up to its members.

Mali is not a member of the Security Council and its request must be relayed by a Member State.

A diplomat said on condition of anonymity in New York "improbable" that such a meeting would take place.

00:18

Bamako ready to "use self-defense"

The latest manifestations of the deterioration of relations between Bamako and Paris coincide strictly with the departure of the last French soldier to Mali after nine years of engagement against the jihadists.

The junta in power in Mali since the August 2020 putsch has turned away from France and its allies to turn towards Russia.

The French army, pushed towards the exit, successively left and transferred to the Malian authorities its various bases in Mali, the last Monday in Gao.

The Russians seem to have not dragged.

The German government said on Wednesday it had information that around 20 to 30 people, probably Russians in uniform, were spotted unloading a plane at Gao airport on the day of the French departure.

The airport is immediately adjacent to the perimeter which included the French base and also includes the camp of the UN mission (Minusma), with a strong German contingent.

The same day dates a letter sent by the head of Malian diplomacy, Abdoulaye Diop, to the Chinese presidency of the UN Security Council.

The letter, sent on Wednesday to journalists by its services and abundantly reproduced on social networks, denounces the "repetitive and frequent violations" of national airspace by French forces in recent months, and the flights of French aircraft. engaging in "activities considered to be espionage" and attempts to "intimidation".

The Malian authorities have "several pieces of evidence that these flagrant violations of Malian airspace have been used by France to collect intelligence for the benefit of terrorist groups operating in the Sahel and to drop arms and ammunition on them", adds Abdoulaye Diop.

The head of Malian diplomacy suggests that the French could have transported by helicopter two members of a jihadist group in early August in the region of Timbuktu.

Mali "invites" the Security Council to work for France to "immediately cease its acts of aggression" and asks the Chinese presidency to communicate these elements to the members of the Security Council with a view to an emergency meeting, says Abdoulaye Diop.

Mali "reserves the right to use self-defence" if French actions persist, in accordance with the United Nations Charter, says the minister.

With AFP and Reuters

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