PARIS: France has suspended its counter-terrorism cooperation with Mali and ordered two Malian diplomats to leave the country following the arrest of a French envoy in Bamako.
A French diplomatic source confirmed the measures were taken in response to Mali’s detention of a French national last month on suspicion of working for Paris’s intelligence services.
The two Malian diplomats have been given until Saturday to depart from France as part of the reciprocal action.
Mali had already declared five staff members of the French embassy in Bamako persona non grata, with those individuals having left the country on Sunday.
The French diplomatic source indicated that additional measures would be implemented soon if their detained national is not released quickly.
France stated in August that it was engaged in talks with Mali to resolve misunderstandings and secure the immediate release of the arrested envoy.
Paris has characterized Bamako’s claims of destabilization as unjustified and maintains that the embassy employee should be freed under diplomatic immunity protections.
Mali’s ruling junta also reported last month that dozens of soldiers had been detained for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government.
The impoverished West African nation has been struggling with a severe security crisis since 2012, driven by violence from groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, along with criminal gangs.
The junta under President Assimi Goita assumed power following back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021.
Mali has increasingly turned away from Western partners, including former colonial power France, choosing instead to align itself politically and militarily with Russia in the name of national sovereignty. – AFP