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France suspends counterterrorism cooperation with Mali amid diplomatic tensions
Relations between France and Mali have taken a new downturn after Paris announced the suspension of its counterterrorism cooperation with Bamako and ordered two Malian diplomats to leave French territory. According to French diplomatic sources, the diplomats, stationed at the Malian embassy and consulate in Paris, were declared persona non grata and given 48 hours to depart.
The move follows the arrest in mid-August of a French national in Bamako, whom the ruling military junta accused of working for French intelligence. Paris rejected the accusation as baseless and demanded the immediate release of its citizen, identified as a member of the French embassy staff.
French authorities said the detention of a duly accredited diplomat represented a violation of international law. “In the face of such a grave and hostile act, France has decided to suspend its cooperation with Mali in the fight against terrorism, to which the arbitrarily detained agent had contributed,” a French official stated.
This decision marks another escalation in already strained relations between the two countries, as Mali continues to face persistent political instability and armed extremist groups across its territory.