Mali's military leaders are planning to cut off all military ties with France, citing "flagrant violations" of Mali's national sovereignty by French personnel on the ground.
"For some time now, the government of the Republic of Mali notes with regret a profound deterioration in military cooperation with France," said spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga in a televised address on Tuesday.
Maiga alleged many instances of French troops violating the country's airspace in order to "spy" on Malian forces. He was referring to the French government's plan to stop joint operations with Malian soldiers in June 2021.
At the time, tens of thousands of people came onto the streets of Bamako, the Malian capital, to welcome the anticipated pullout. During simmering tensions between the West African republic and its former colonial master, they burnt a European flag and brandished banners with inscriptions such as "France is a terrorist nation."
The Malian authorities claimed to have notified Paris of their decision on Monday afternoon, but the French government has yet to respond to the junta's declaration.
In 2013, a French operation was established in Mali to supposedly combat terrorists related to the al-Qaeda and Daesh terrorist organisations, according to Paris. As a result, the French government dispatched tens of thousands of troops to Bamako, ostensibly to prevent separatist forces from reaching the capital.
Thousands of people died as a result of the conflict, and over a million more were forced to evacuate their homes. In the last year, there have been two military coups, amid mounting protests against France's military presence.
Despite the fact that France is the only Western country with a large military presence in the Sahel, the relationship between France and its former African colonies has been more contentious in recent months. As a result, anti-French sentiment has risen significantly.
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