Three Europeans were among a group of suspected insurgents detained during a military operation in the central town of Diabaly over the weekend, the Malian army says.
However, the Military has not issued any further information in a statement on the detention of the Europeans.
For more than ten years, Mali has been battling insurgency in its northern Sahel areas. The military authority, which has ruled the West African country since 2020, has been accused of committing a massacre of civilians earlier this month. According to the report, those murdered were suspected insurgents.
In February, France announced its pullout from Mali, where it was spearheading an international military effort against insurgents in the Sahel area.
The announcement came as relations between France and the military junta that seized control last year deteriorated.
Mali’s choice to recruit militants from the Russian company Wagner to assist in the war against terrorists also influenced the decision. It also denies having any Russian mercenaries in the nation.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, News Central reported that the European Union, E.U, has announced that it will end its military training missions in Mali, but will maintain a presence in the Sahel region, which has seen an increase in insurgent assaults in recent years.
Josep Borrell, the E.U’s foreign policy leader, said one of the reasons for the decision not to continue training Malian troops was the presence of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group.