LAST UPDATE: 10:08
The Mali government has denied any involvement in the Wagner group of Russian mercenaries in its territory, which was announced and denounced by some 15 Western countries involved in the anti-jihadist struggle in the Sahel.
The government in Bamako “officially denies the allegations” about the “alleged development of elements of a private security company in Mali,” he said in a press release released Friday night.
Fifteen Western governments reported growth in Mali on Thursday, with the help of Moscow, members of the Wagner group, denouncing the involvement of these mercenaries, who have intervened in Ukraine, Syria, Libya and several other sub-Saharan African countries.
The Mali government is “demanding evidence from independent sources” about the presence of men from the Wagner group, according to a statement signed by government spokesman Colonel Abdullaye Maiga, who is also a minister.
He clarified that “like the European Training Mission (EUTM), Russian trainers are present in Mali to strengthen the operational capabilities of the defense and security forces.”
Bamako wants to be “judged by its actions rather than by rumors” and wants to “remind that the state of Mali has only entered into a transnational partnership with the Russian Federation, its historical ally.”
Several Western countries, including France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada, “strongly condemned the development of mercenaries in Mali” on Thursday and denounced the “involvement of the Russian government in providing material support to the Wagner group”. .
“We urge Russia to act responsibly and constructively in the region,” the statement said, referring to Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal and the Czech Republic. Romania and Sweden.
These countries are taking part, on the French side, in Takumba, a new European mission, consisting of groups of special forces, that will accompany the Mali army in the battles.
Until now, the alleged development of Russian mercenaries was tantamount to violating the red line for Paris. However, Western countries did not go so far as to threaten Bamako with the withdrawal of their forces; instead, they expressed their “determination to continue (their) action to protect civilians, support the fight against terrorism in the Sahel and contribute to restore stability in the long run “.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned Mali against the economic consequences and destabilization of the country if the government hired the Wagner group.
The United States, followed by the EU on Monday, has imposed sanctions on Wagner, who is believed to be linked to President Vladimir Putin.
Since 2012, Mali has been the scene of jihadist operations linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, as well as the violence of “paramilitary defense organizations” and criminals. The regular army is also accused of atrocities.
The violence, which first broke out in northern Mali in 2012, spread to the central part of the country, then to neighboring countries, Burkina Faso and Niger. It has claimed the lives of thousands of civilians and soldiers and displaced hundreds of thousands of people, despite the deployment of troops from France, African countries and the United Nations.
The military takeover of Bamako by the 2020 coup did not stop its escalation.
Source: AMPE
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Source From: Capital

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