Mali, European countries and Canada condemn Wagner’s presence

A total of 14 European countries, including France, Germany and Canada, condemned the “mercenary troops” linked to Russia in Mali in a joint statement issued yesterday, calling on Russia to “return to responsible behavior and constructive behavior.” “.

In the statement, France and other countries said, “We deeply regret the choice of Mali’s intermediaries to use the deficient public funds to pay foreign mercenaries, instead of supporting the Mali Armed Forces and civil services for the benefit of the Malian people.”

The security situation in Mali has deteriorated since June, with France announcing that Operation Burgene is reviewing its forces in Mali. President Emmanuel Macron justified the decision, saying the French military, which has suffered 53 deaths in the region, could no longer compensate for the Mali government’s “non-functioning”. Within a year, two coups had taken place in the capital, Bamako, which further destabilized relations between France and Malik.

I Mali government officials have criticized the French for exacerbating the conflict and for deciding to halve their military presence by 5,000. After the withdrawal of French troops, Bamako began negotiations to recruit mercenaries from the Wagner Private Security Council under US and EU sanctions.

France’s Bargain operation began in 2013 with the aim of expelling al-Qaeda allies from the Malian city of Timbuktu. But the conflict later spread to many countries, such as Niger and Chad.

The report was released by France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania and Sweden.

Yesterday, at least 500 Russian paramilitary troops from the Wagner group arrived in Bamako, according to some local media and the Anatolian news agency.