The Brief, No 17
17 February 2022
President Macron has order French troops to pull out of Mali. What are the consequences?
The announcement follows the expulsion of the French ambassador in Mali, Joel Meyer, earlier this month.
Mali had a coup led by Assimi Goita in May 2021. After agreeing to hold elections in Feb 2022, Goita has since renegaded and has pushed elections 2025.
According to the BBC "there are several missions running concurrently in the Sahel - including a UN peacekeeping mission, comprising 56 nations and 14,000 troops, and the French-led counter-terrorism mission Operation Barkhane, which is backed by US intelligence". These efforts are largely concentrated at defeating the Al Qaeeda aligned Islamic State in the Greater Sahara.l (ISGS)
The collapse of government in Mali and withdrawal of French troops is likely to bolster ISGS.
Moreover, how is the collapse of government and the withdrawal of French troops going to impact the relationship between the military and ISGS? Both have been fighting the French troops.
Will the military in Mali initiate discussions with ISGS? What will be the impact of that relationship to the entire Sahel region?
Afrasid is available for analysis and commentary.