France undermined state institutions, NATO bolstered terrorism: Mali

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NATO's intervention in Libya and the support of some terrorist groups contributed to the bolstering and proliferation of terrorism in Mali and the entire African Sahel region, Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop told Al Mayadeen during an exclusive interview.

Groups from the Malian community in Libya benefited from NATO's intervention in the North African state in order to obtain support and assistance, Diop told Al Mayadeen, noting that the groups in question went to northern Mali, and they were joined by terrorist organizations, who went on to occupy a third of Mali's territory.

Diop underlined that the instability resulting from terrorism is no longer confined to northern Mali, but it expanded to include almost all parts of the country and has crossed national borders, spreading to neighboring countries to the Gulf of Guinea.

What was France's role in Mali?

Furthermore, Diop commented on France's withdrawal from his country, saying Paris decided to leave Mali and was not expelled. "One can return to the official statements of the French government, in which it was announced that the military operations with the Malian army would stop and that the Barkhane operation would end.

Diop saw that France's decision was taken to "punish the Malian authorities that decided to change their military strategy and replace their strategic partner."

Africa capable of self-management

It is time for France and all its partners to realize that Africans are perfectly capable of running their countries and choosing their partners based on their national interests, Diop told Al Mayadeen.

Africa is open to establishing partners with anyone in the whole world, and the United States is an important partner, but it must take into consideration the interests and sovereignty of African states, the top Malian diplomat said.

Malian-Russian partnership

Russia is a strategic partner of Mali's, as Moscow supplied Bamako with everything it asked for within the framework of its confrontation against extremist groups such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda.

The Russian supplies to Mali do not classify as loans or aid; they were paid for by the state treasury.

Diop indicated that Mali tried to acquire military equipment from Europe, the United States, and various other Western countries, but they did not succeed because of the bureaucracy in these countries.

Earlier last month, Malian transitional Prime Minister, Choguel Kokalla Maiga revealed that Mali expects to present to the UN Security Council evidence of France's support for armed groups.

"The day we reveal the evidence, we will see who is muddying the waters. All those who do not want us to provide evidence understand that the accusations against us have no basis," Maiga underlined.

According to the Malian Prime Minister, Mali will keep this evidence to itself for as long as it deems it necessary.

It is noteworthy that in mid-October, during a speech delivered at a United Nations Security Council briefing on Mali in New York, Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop accused France of violating Malian airspace and delivering weapons to militants that have been crippling the country for the past decade, which France denied.

Furthermore, the Malian government declared on March 1 in a letter to Pedro Comissario Alfonso, president of the Security Council and Ambassador of Mozambique to the UN that France no longer has the power to draft resolutions and declarations regarding the Republic of Mali within the UNSC (UNSC).

"Pending the special meeting of the Security Council requested by Mali, the government of the Republic of Mali […] officially challenges France's penholder status on all questions examined by the Security Council concerning Mali," reads the letter.

Since December 2012, France has been responsible for producing all the drafts in the UN Security Council concerning Mali. However, Mali complained to the Security Council in August 2022 about acts of aggression, subversion, destabilization and violation of Malian airspace by aircraft of the French armed forces. 

The presence of French troops in Mali was established in 2013 under the pretext of countering terrorist activities in the Sahel region, after the 2011 intervention in Libya by NATO forces. The country achieved full independence after French troops withdrew from its country on August 15, 2022 following pressure from the Malian government.