Africa correspondent Elles van Gelder:
“The current military rulers are done with what they see as the continuous French meddling in their territory and want to run their own affairs. Where it started with support for Mali, it is now seen more as a leash. France has solved the problem of Moreover, they cannot solve jihadism, so Mali’s leaders want to look to other partners.
The part of the Malian population that makes their voices heard has also become increasingly anti-French. Citizens are outraged by economic sanctions imposed by the regional West African organization Ecowas. That happened after military leaders postponed democratic elections due this month. But that is not blamed on them but former colonizer France, because that country supports the sanctions. They are disastrous for this poor country.
It remains to be seen how Mali’s own fight against the extremists will turn out. Although Mali denies, there is evidence that Russian Wagner mercenaries are active there. And they don’t have the best reputation. They are accused of human rights violations in other countries, such as the Central African Republic. More safety for Mali is anything but a guarantee with the departure of the French.”
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