Russia and France are in dispute over Mali. Russian mercenaries appeared there and offered their services to the junta

In recent days, the authorities of the African state of Mali (the former French colony) have been actively negotiating with the Russian private military company Wagner. This led to a new round of tension in relations between Moscow and Paris.

October 11 took place phone conversation with the participation of French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Officially, the conversation was devoted to the settlement of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, but Macron spoke to Putin about Mali as well. writes Africa Intelligence. The French leader said that the arrival of the Wagnerites in Mali would be regarded by Paris as “open aggression.”

A few days later, a delegation from the French Ministry of Defense that visited Moscow expressed the same concern. However, in the Kremlin, these warnings were not heard.

Paris also tried to dissuade the Mali leadership from cooperating with Russia on the use of mercenaries. On September 29, French Defense Minister Florence Parly warned Bamako of the threat of “international isolation” and “loss of part of sovereignty.”

“If Mali begins to cooperate with mercenaries, the country will be isolated and will lose the support of the international community, which is providing significant assistance to the” Malians “, – quoted French Defense Minister Rfi.

France’s concern is shared by NATO. “If PMC Wagner appears in Mali, we will not put up with it”, – stated At the end of September, Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultkvist during a meeting of representatives of the European Intervention Initiative member states. In addition to Sweden, it includes Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, Belgium, Portugal, Denmark, the Netherlands, Estonia, Finland, Norway.

Similar concerns were expressed at the end of September by a senior White House source. According to him, the proposed dispatch of up to 1,000 Russian mercenaries to Mali will further destabilize the situation in the country. reported “Voice of America”.

Wagnerians are interested in the Malian bowels

Representatives of the Wagner PMC visited the Mali capital Bamako at the end of October and held talks with the country’s authorities. True, the parties have not yet been able to come to an agreement, since the Wagnerians ask for their services 120 million euros per year. In Mali, this amount is considered exorbitant. However, in other theaters of war, the Wagnerites receive comparable money or even more. For example, Libyan Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar pays Russian mercenaries $ 200 million a year.

The military authorities in Mali expect to get a 10-20% discount from the Wagnerites.

Mineral deposits in Mali were another subject of bargaining. PMC Wagner expects to obtain licenses for their development in order to have additional income. According to the same scheme, the Wagnerites cooperate with the authorities of the Central African Republic.

However, in Mali, the main mining enterprises are owned by international companies, so the Russian side can only rely on exploration and development of new deposits, and this requires investment.

During October, Russian specialists carried out exploration for gold and magnesium deposits in Mali. They are also showing interest in phosphorus mining.

The arrival of the Wagnerites in Mali was confirmed by sources inside the PMC. “We are already entering Mali”, – spoke At the end of August, one of the PMC fighters who returned from another African business trip to the Russian service of the BBC.

The Russian authorities do not deny that the Mali leadership has turned to a Russian private military company for help in the fight against terrorism, but this activity is carried out on a legal basis. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, official Moscow “has nothing to do with this.”

Europe curtailed financial aid programs for Mali

The Mali authorities explain the appearance of Russian mercenaries in the country by the fact that France allegedly abandoned its African partners to their fate, having decided to unilaterally complete the anti-terrorist operation “Barkhan”. Therefore, Bamako is forced to look for new partners to ensure security, said Prime Minister of Mali Shogel Kokalla Maiga, speaking on September 25 at the podium of the UN General Assembly.

French President Macron called the statement “shameful.” “I was shocked. His statements are unacceptable. Let me remind you that the Prime Minister of Mali is, it would be better to say, a kind of “child” of two coups d’état: the coup d’état of August 2020 and the (recent) “coup within a coup”. Therefore, the legitimacy of the current government in terms of democratic procedures is negligible, ”said Macron.

The French Foreign Ministry spokesman later stressed that changing the form of France’s military presence in the Sahel region is neither a withdrawal from Mali, nor a unilateral decision.

Contrary to the official statements of the Mali leadership, the military does not plan to deploy Russian mercenaries in the Sahel in the north of the country. Rather, it is about maintaining order in a number of other areas, including 50 km from the capital Bamako.

Without waiting for the end of negotiations between PMC Wagner and the Mali authorities, the European Union has already suspended financial assistance to Bamako in the amount of 70 million euros. Earlier this fall, France also refused to provide loans to Mali. Paris allocated 40 million euros a year to Bamako.

According to Africa Intelligence, the suspension of EU assistance may be followed by sanctions against the military leadership of Mali, which, having seized power, promised to organize elections in the country in early 2022.

Against this background, Mali receives military assistance from Russia. On September 30, 4 military helicopters with weapons and ammunition purchased from the Russian Federation were handed over to the Mali Ministry of Defense. The Mi-171 helicopters themselves were purchased “entirely” from the Malian budget, and the weapons and ammunition were “donated” by Moscow, said Defense Minister in Mali’s “transitional government” Colonel Sadio Camara.

He noted the “reliability and seriousness” of Russia as a partner of the current authorities of Mali in the “framework of mutually beneficial exchanges.” Sadio Camara also called Russia a “friendly country” with which Mali “has always maintained very fruitful cooperation.”

Counter-terrorist Operation Barkhan, in which French troops were stationed in Mali, was launched on August 1, 2014 at the initiative of Paris. The operation was carried out in a number of states south of the Sahara, including Mauritania, Chad, Burkina Faso, Niger. Shortly before the withdrawal of French troops from Mali, their actions were criticized at the UN. On January 3, French aviation struck. According to the UN mission, the target was about a hundred wedding participants, among whom were five armed people. The airstrike killed 19 civilians and three suspected jihadist fighters. However, according to the French Ministry of Defense, the blow was struck only on a group of terrorists.

May 2021 in Mali happened military coup. Colonel Assimi Goitu became the interim president of the country. The UN, the European Union, the United States and the African Union condemned the military seizure of power.