France suspends development aid to Mali amid tensions with military junta in Bamako

he French government has announced the suspension of its development aid in Mali, amid tensions with the military junta that has controlled the country since the 2020 coup, in part because of the deployment of mercenaries from the Wagner Group, owned by an oligarch close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Archivo - El coronel Assimi Goita. - HABIB KOUYATE / XINHUA NEWS / CONTACTO© Provided by News 360

French diplomatic sources quoted by the newspaper 'Le Monde' have specified that the decision was taken "two or three weeks ago", although it has not been officially communicated by Paris. The measure has provoked criticism from a group of non-governmental organizations.

Coordination Sud, made up of 35 NGOs active in the African country, has sent an e-mail in which it warned that the measure "will mean the halt of essential activities (...) for the benefit of populations in a situation of great poverty".

The organizations have detailed that the suspension of development aid by France jeopardizes 70 development projects planned in Mali, where 7.5 million people, 35 percent of the population, need to receive humanitarian aid in order to survive.

The announcement comes days after French President Emmanuel Macron made official the end of operation 'Barkhane' in the Sahel, amid the withdrawal of international troops due to tensions with the military junta over its postponements of elections following the August 2020 and May 2021 coups.