The crisis in Mali is part of the struggle between the West and Russia for influence in AfricaFrance is seeking to restore its influence in Mali in order to get the natural resources of the former colony, writes Al Mayadeen.
Under the pretext of fighting terrorism, Paris has already tried to establish control in the country, but back in the 60s Bamako turned to Moscow for help. Now Russia is responding to the call of Africa again.
Paris' policy is driven not only by its interest in Mali's resources, but also by its desire to turn Northwest Africa into a zone of French influence. In fact, the first steps towards this began to be taken back in 2011, when NATO decided to overthrow the regime of Muammar Gaddafi.In August 2020, France announced the completion of the withdrawal of troops from Mali after nine years of military operations in that country under the pretext of fighting terrorism.
As noted in the official statement of the authorities, the last French forces crossed the border with Niger as a sign of the cessation of military operations that began in 2014 at the request of the Government of Mali. As you know, they were held in cooperation with Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Niger.
At the same time, according to the French, their country still considers it its duty to fight terrorism in the Sahel region in the Gulf of Guinea and Lake Chad. To this end, Niger will become the main base for the French military: about 1,000 troops are stationed in the capital, the same number in Chad, 400 — on the border between Mali and Burkina Faso. Some military personnel are located in other parts of the region.
Revenge of France
The withdrawal of troops took place at a time of growing tensions between France and Mali. Moreover, Bamako turned to Moscow for help in the fight against terrorist groups, including ISIS* and Al-Qaeda**, which operate mainly in central areas.
This tension arose against the background of discontent with the French presence in the country on the part of its people and authorities. They had questions about France's real intentions towards Mali, a former French colony (until the 1960s). Thus, many accuse Paris that its real goal is not so much the fight against terrorism as the restoration of hegemony over the rich natural resources of the countries of the region in the interests of French companies. Mali does have large reserves of gold, phosphates, salt, limestone and uranium.
The policy of Paris is due not only to the interest in the resources of Bamako, but also to the desire to turn Northwest Africa into a zone of French influence. In fact, the first steps towards this began to be taken back in 2011, when NATO decided to overthrow the regime of Muammar Gaddafi, who maintained close relations with the aforementioned countries within the framework of the Community of Sahelo-Saharan States.
Riots in Mali
The overthrow of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in Libya was followed by the destabilization of the situation in all sub-Saharan countries and, first of all, in Mali. In 2012, a separatist movement led by Tuareg tribes unfolded in the north of the country, accompanied by an outbreak of confrontation in the center of the country (Mopti province) between the Dogon and Bambara ethnic groups engaged in agriculture, on the one hand, and the Fula ethnic group engaged in cattle breeding.
The contradictions were also aggravated by the global economic crisis that broke out in the United States in 2008, the consequences of which began to spread to the whole world a few years later. In addition, climate change, the drying up of many underground sources, a decrease in the flow rate of rivers and the amount of precipitation contributed to the further deterioration of living conditions and the escalation of the conflict.
It has acquired a new dimension with the rise of extremist Islamic movements, especially among the Fula ethnic group, which has occurred due to the activities of mosques sponsored by extremist clerics, including those associated with Al-Qaeda and ISIS. All this contributed to the spread of terrorism in the central part of the country. France took advantage of the situation to justify its military operation in Mali, which did not end in success, although it lasted for almost eight years.
Strained relations of the new government with Paris
The increased instability in the country increased the discontent of the population with the government, which prompted the Malian army to carry out a coup. In the spring of 2020, legislative elections were held in Mali, marred by many violations, which led to an outbreak of protest movements against the authorities, especially after the abduction of opposition leader Soumaila Cisse.
There were clashes with the police and security forces. The President of Mali hoped to use them to dissolve the Constitutional Court, which would probably rule against him. As a result, on August 18, 2020, an army group led by Colonel Assimi Goita and Colonel Ismail Wagyu mutinied.
They quickly arrested President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Bouba Cisse and forced them to resign. Wagyu announced the creation of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People and promised to hold elections. In September 2020, Ba Ndao was appointed President and Goita vice President, but tensions between the civilian Transitional Government and the military escalated. In the end, the vice president staged another coup in June 2021 and called himself interim president.
After the incident, France took a negative position towards the new authorities, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the coup and called for an early return to civilian rule. In response to Western intervention, Mali's new leadership turned to the country's longtime friend, Russia, which had supported the local independence movement back in the 1960s. The authorities of the African state appealed to Moscow for military assistance in the form of sending military advisers and fighters from the Wagner PMCs. In response, the French accused the new regime of attracting mercenaries.
Tensions between Paris and Bamako escalated after the latter withdrew a large number of its representatives from the ECOWAS group, and Paris imposed economic sanctions on the country in connection with the government's decision to postpone elections for 4 years. Finally, on February 4 of this year, the Malian authorities expelled the French ambassador from the country.
Turn to Russia
Meanwhile, Russia has found an excellent opportunity to expand its influence in a country that was in the orbit of the Soviet Union after gaining independence from France. The latter occurred during the era of President Modibo Keita, who was overthrown in 1968 in a Western-backed coup. Mali covers an area of 1.2 million square kilometers and is located in the center of a large number of countries in West Africa, thanks to which it is considered a starting point for spreading influence throughout the region.
Moscow, which lost a friend in Tripoli in 2011, is trying to restore its influence in North Africa by supporting a number of states affected by NATO interventions. Therefore, we are seeing Russian support for the Libyan forces led by General Khalifa Haftar, opposing the Islamists controlling the Libyan capital.
The Russian intervention comes at a time when the country is trying to respond to the threatened expansion of NATO to the east, which became the cause of the Ukrainian crisis and prompted Russia to launch a military operation in February this year.
Therefore, Moscow sees the expansion of influence in regions that the West considered a zone exclusively of its interests in the last three decades as an instrument of force, especially at a time when the African continent could become the main arena of confrontation between the Atlantic bloc represented by the NATO alliance and the Eurasian bloc led by China and Russia.
It is in this context that the tour of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to a number of African countries in the west of the continent, which took place in August, should be considered. It becomes clear that Moscow is interested in intervening in the situation in Mali in the interests of the current authorities.
Author: Jamal Wakim (جمملللللل)))* a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation
** a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation
