ASECNA, the organization that manages airspace in much of Africa, has reported to the Malian authorities a violation of their airspace by a French military aircraft, Malian air authorities said on Wednesday.
The report, made Tuesday by the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA), raises the question of the impact on not only French but also international military operations of Mali’s closure of its air (and land) borders in retaliation for similar West African sanctions.
In a press release issued by the Malian government, the government said it had “denounced this violation of Mali’s airspace to the French authorities, who have decided to support the ECOWAS sanctions, which include the closure of the land and air borders of its member countries with Mali.
The Malian government “declines all responsibility for the risks to which the perpetrators of these practices could be exposed in the event of a new violation of our airspace,” the communiqué added.
France, militarily engaged in Mali and the Sahel, but also the UN force in Mali (Minusma) constantly carry out flights between the sub-region and Mali, for supplies and operations.
When asked, a French military source in Paris said: “At this stage we have not received any official indication of possible restrictions in the air. Moreover, “we are bound by defense agreements”.