Mali’s Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga on Monday reiterated his claim that France was deserting the West Africa country by planning to scale back its military presence across the Sahel region as part of its counterterrorism campaign, Operation Barkhane, reported CGTN Africa.
In an interview with French daily Le Monde, Maiga also confirmed that Mali’s ruling junta was unlikely to hold presidential and legislative elections in the country by February next year as promised, despite warnings from the international community.
Mali’s strongman, Colonel Assimi Goita, had previously pledged to hold elections in February next year, but his government has been slow to prepare for the poll.
Maiga’s abandonment allegations have already infuriated President Emmanuel Macron. Last month, Macron said France has no intention to retain its military presence in Mali for a long time.
“Nearly nine years later, what do we see? The terrorism that was limited to Kidal has spread to 80 percent of our territory,” Maiga said referring to a city in Mali’s north.
French forces are now to focus on the east of Mali, a bastion for the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS).
Maiga also noted that the Malian government considers a local affiliate of the al-Qaida terrorist group as the biggest threat to the country.
He said while al-Qaida is multiplying its attacks, the country’s main ally has decided to leave its zone of influence for the three-borders region near Niger and Burkina Faso.
Mali’s prime minister said the French government’s decision to pull out forces is like abandonment in mid-flight.
He refuted reports that Mali’s government is planning to hire hundreds of paramilitaries from a Russian private military company, the Wagner group.
France has warned Mali that hiring Wagner fighters would isolate the country internationally and would force it to consider a full pullout.
The French government has urged the Malian government to conduct elections as planned to restore civilian rule in the country.
