Mali / Rupture of defense agreements with France, Paris "challenges"

In a letter sent to the UN at the end of April, obtained by AFP, Bamako had denounced "repeated and deliberate violations of national airspace by foreign aircraft, in particular by French forces, for the purposes of espionage, intimidation and subversion".

The government spokesman, Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga, justified this decision by citing in particular "multiple violations" of airspace by French aircraft, despite the establishment of a vast no-fly zone above of the territory.

Paris also insisted on Tuesday to reaffirm its "vigilance with regard to any attempt to manipulate information" and recalled its "determination to ensure the safety of its soldiers and the European soldiers engaged at its side during this phase of disengagement.

Despite everything, "the real problem is to know what will be the attitude of the Malian forces" in the coming weeks, worries a senior officer, fearing possible obstacles while "Barkhane" is engaged in a very heavy and complex operation logistics to leave Mali, after more than nine years of presence.

Denial of the French militaryProof of a further deterioration in relations between Paris and Bamako, the Malian authorities dominated by the military announced on Monday evening that they were breaking the Status of Force Agreements (SOFA) setting the legal framework for the presence of the French “Barkhane” and European “Takuba” forces, as well as the defense cooperation treaty, concluded in 2014 between Mali and France.

"The withdrawal will be effective before the end of the summer", underlines the staff, which estimates to face "a diplomatic problem more than military"..

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