Mali: two French soldiers arrested in Bamako and quickly released

French soldiers on mission in Mali.

(Drawing).

AFP PHOTO /Pool Pascal Guyot

Text by: David Baché

1 min

Two French soldiers were arrested this Thursday, September 15 and released this Friday morning.

Relations between France and Mali have been icy for months: the French ambassador in Bamako was expelled, the Barkhane force was pushed at the start and today, Bamako accuses, before the United Nations, France of supporting jihadist terrorist groups present in the country.

But at first glance, this episode should not fuel a new escalation...

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A French diplomatic source explains that it is "two soldiers in reinforcement of the embassy" who were scouting in town and taking photos for the update of the evacuation plan of the French living in Bamako.

“

”, details this French diplomatic source, who continues: “

.

»

The two soldiers arrested on Thursday afternoon were finally released on Friday morning.

Consulate and embassy closed

Since Thursday, messages have been circulating on social networks reporting the arrest of “two French spies from the Quai d'Orsay on a mission” arrested while “taking strategic photos of the Bamako military base.

“Messages relayed by accounts notoriously anti-French and pro-Malian military authorities.

The risks of a new escalation between Paris and Bamako were taken very seriously, the French consulate even closed its doors this Friday before reopening them during the day.

Just like the French Embassy in Bamako.

The "misunderstanding", in the words of the French diplomat, therefore seems to have been cleared up.

Requested by RFI, the Malian ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs did not wish to provide their details for the moment.

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