Defense: Florence Parly in Mali to reduce tensions with the military – franceinfo

The French Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, affirmed Monday, September 20 from Mali the determination of Paris to continue its commitment there. However, it did not obtain assurances from the military-dominated government on possible cooperation with the Russian group Wagner.

This trip, which began on Sunday in Niger, was intended in particular to expose to the countries concerned the reorganization by France, initiated in January 2013 in the Sahel, of its device for the benefit of a tightened presence, centered on targeted strikes against jihadist leaders and executives. and support for local armies.

During her meeting with the Malian Minister of Defense, Colonel Sadio Camara, Florence Parly said that she addressed the Wagner file and “insisted on the fact that at a time when the international community has never been so numerous to fight terrorism (in the Sahel), such a choice would be that of isolation”. France and Germany warned last week that resorting to Wagner to train the Malian armed forces and ensure the protection of the leaders would call into question their military engagement in Mali.

The international community is also concerned about the reluctance shown by the colonels who overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta on August 18, 2020, to organize elections to return power to civilians in February 2022.