Mali’s ruling junta on Monday asked Joel Meyer, the French ambassador to Mali, to leave the country in the next 72 hours over hostile and outrageous comments by France about its transitional government, reported Africa News. The announcement comes amid mounting tensions between the two countries.
Last week, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had said that Mali’s military junta was out of control. He also called the military government illegitimate. On Saturday, French Defence Minister Florence Parly said that French troops would not stay in Mali if the price was too high.
“The Malian government vigorously condemns and rejects these remarks, which are contrary to the development of friendly relations between nations,” a statement read over national television on Monday said.
France had deployed troops in Mali in 2013 to drive back armed groups who were advancing on the capital. The fighters continue to wage an increasingly bloody armed uprising across the Sahel region. France also has troops in Niger and Burkina Faso, which are also fighting jihadist insurgencies.
Relations between France and Mali, a landlocked country in West Africa which is one of the world’s poorest nations, began falling out since the army seized power in August 2020.
Tensions increased further this month when Mali’s ruling junta reversed an agreement to hold elections in February and vowed to hold power until 2025. The West Africa bloc ECOWAS also imposed a trade embargo and border closures this month, in a move backed by France, the United States, and the European Union.
As per reports, Mali’s military junta has also deployed Russian private military contractors, which some European countries have said is incompatible with their mission.
Last week, Mali asked Denmark to withdraw its troops from the country, which set off another crisis. France asked Mali to let the Danish military troops stay, and Mali’s government spokesman told France to keep its “colonial reflexes” to itself.
