Mali denounces Macron's 'hateful, profoundly racist' remarks

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The transitional Malian government on Monday demanded that French President Emmanuel Macron back down from his "neocolonial, paternalistic, and condescending" stance on Mali to understand that no one can love Mali more than the Malian people themselves.

In a statement read by the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, the transitional government's spokesperson Bamako said it learned "with deep indignation" of the statements made by Macron regarding the authorities' alleged ties to mercenaries and paramilitary groups, which it slammed as "hateful and profoundly racist".

The French President's statements came during his tour in Africa, specifically in Guinea-Bissau on July 28.

Macron's tour saw him visiting three African countries, and his first leg was in Cameroon, from where he unironically called France "a friend of Africa," pledging that his country would "do everything so that... this format (of Russian influence) does not spread too much" because he does not believe it to be a good thing. "I especially think it's not good for the people."

Macron's delegation is seeking to invest in the countries' agricultural sectors to continue making money through Africa, the continent that carried Paris to where it is today through imperialism and colonialism.

The Malian government called on Macron to remember France's complicity and negative role in the genocide of the Tutsis in Rwanda.

Macron "reiterated erroneous accusations by asserting that the Malian authorities maintain relations with a paramilitary group without even providing any proof despite [Bamako's] denial. Worse, he evoked in these remarks the exercise of violence by the Malian authorities, starting a specific ethnic group of our nation," the statement read.

"The Transitional Government condemns with the utmost rigor these hateful and defamatory remarks by the French President and calls on the national and international community to witness these accusations which are likely to promote ethnic hatred and undermine co-existence and harmony among Malians."

Macron condemned the "systematic violence under the guise of fighting terrorism and targeting the Fulani people," accusing the Malian forces of these acts.

Paris, during about 10 years of its military presence in Mali, failed to achieve any tangible achievements in terms of the country's security, political instability, and economic issues, sparking popular waves of resentment toward France, leading to two coups in the country, the last of which took place in May 2021.

The junta in Mali decided to withdraw all defense treaties with France, citing "flagrant abuses" of national sovereignty. 

Paris no longer possesses the legal basis for carrying out military operations in Mali after the West African nation withdrew from defense agreements with France, the Malian government said.