As French troops have speeded up their withdrawal from Mali following weeks of diplomatic escalation between Bamako and Paris, Russia has been increasing its foothold in the country, thereby generating concerns about Mali’s future stability. Yet the breakup between France/Europe and Mali is not to be blamed on Russia alone; it is also the result of an irreconcilable partnership at the heart of which lie France’s double standards regarding recent African coups, its uncompromising stance regarding dialogue with terrorist groups in Mali, and its failed efforts at rebranding its military engagement as a European one.
Download the e-Note 37Research line: Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa
Source photo :BARKHANE : Task Force Takuba – Les premiers entrainements franco-estoniens ont débuté (defense.gouv.fr), March 2021
e-Note 37
The French Withdrawal
from Mali in Perspective:
An Irreconcilable Partnership?