Accusing France of “acts of aggression”, Mali says it “reserves the right to use self-defence” if French actions persist.
Mali has asked the UN Security Council for an emergency meeting to stop what it says are France’s “acts of aggression” in the form of violations of its sovereignty, support for jihadist groups and spying.
The Malian foreign ministry released a letter to this effect to journalists on Wednesday from diplomatic chief Abdoulaye Diop to the current presidency of the Security Council, held by China. Mali “reserves the right to use self-defence” if French actions persist, in accordance with the UN Charter, the minister said.
The letter is dated 15 August, the date of the departure of the last French soldier in Mali after nine years of engagement against the jihadists. The junta in power in Mali since the August 2020 putsch has turned away from France and its allies to Russia.
Mr Diop denounced in the letter the “repetitive and frequent violations” of national airspace by French forces and the flights of French aircraft engaged in “activities considered as espionage” and attempts at “intimidation”. The Malian authorities have “several pieces of evidence that these flagrant violations of Malian airspace have been used by France to collect intelligence for the benefit of terrorist groups operating in the Sahel and to drop arms and ammunition to them,” the text adds.
In response, General Bruno Baratz, the new commander of the Barkhane force, said: “For us, French soldiers, who have always been transparent with the Malian authorities, we find it insulting for our 59 comrades who have fallen fighting for Mali…’’
Mali “invites” the Security Council to work to ensure that France “immediately ceases its acts of aggression” and asks the Chinese presidency to communicate these elements to the members of the Security Council with a view to an emergency meeting, Mr Diop said.