France suspends counterterrorism cooperation with Mali

According to the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France has suspended its cooperation with Mali and ordered two consular staff members to leave.

According to the French government’s foreign ministry, two Malian embassy staff members have been designated persona non grata, while five French embassy staff members have been maligned.

A Frenchman was detained in Mali last month on suspicion of plotting a coup, and his suspension was announced on Friday.

In their effort to destabilize the nation, the Mali army claimed at the time that some civilians and soldiers had aided “the foreign states.”

General Daoud Aly Mohammedine, the country’s security minister, claimed Vezilier had intervened “on behalf of the French intelligence service, which mobilized political leaders, civil society figures, and military personnel” in Mali.

The accusations were “unfounded,” according to Paris.

According to the French foreign ministry, Vezilier worked for the French government’s embassy in Bamako.

A French diplomat’s source told the AFP news agency that the two Malian diplomats who were being expelled were instructed to leave in response to Vezilier’s arrest. By Saturday, according to French media reports, they had to leave.

If our nation isn’t released quickly, “other measures” will be put into place soon, according to the source.

France stated in August that it was in talks with Mali to “clear up any misunderstandings” and allow the detained envoy to be freed “right away.”

Since soldiers took control of Mali, an ex-French colony, almost four years ago, France’s formerly close ties with the country have deteriorated.

The military administration has distanced itself from France, ejects French forces, and seeks Russian security assistance under President Assimi Goita.

Since 2012, Mali has been plagued by a security crisis, notably brought on by violence by local criminal gangs and armed groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and the ISIL (ISIS) group.

Goita resisted earlier assurances from the military government that civilian leadership would resume by March 2024 by extending his rule by another five years in June.