France has suspended its joint military operations with Malian forces as a sign of discontent with the latest coup in the country.
Mali’s military, last week sacked President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane and forced them to resign in a decision that has been greeted with rallying international outcries.
Assimi Goita, a critical player and mastermind in the unseating of former President, Boubacar Keita was at the centre of the coup, citing the marginalisation of some military officers in President Ndaw’s cabinet reshuffle.
West Africa bloc, ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) have since suspended the country and threatened sanctions against it.
France said it will continue to operate in the country but won’t work jointly with Mali’s military.
The French military said “Pending these guarantees, France, after informing its partners and the Malian authorities, has decided to suspend, as a precaution and temporarily, joint military operations with the Malian forces, as national advisory missions that benefit them,”
Mali is facing a hydra-headed security challenge against militants and rebels with its latest democratic problems threatening the quality of its response to its security challenges.
Mali, one of Africa’s few landlocked countries has had its relationships with many countries and international organisations breaking down following its coup. Most nations have expressed concern about the democratic imbalance in the country and the threat to a democratic transition with the military in power.
