Paris France January 19 ANI Sputnik The French Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that Mali requested that France review bilateral defence agreements.
On Sunday, Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop told the France 24 broadcaster that the African country had officially requested Paris to reevaluate their bilateral defence pact.
A French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said we received a request of that kind, and are considering it, and were asked at a briefing by Sputnik.
The ministry did not reveal what Mali wants to review at the same time.
Mali has had two military coups over the past two years. The coup took place in August 2020 and resulted in the ousting of former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and the appointment of Ba N'daw as interim president.
On May 24, 2021, Ba N'daw was arrested by soldiers. The military council, led by Vice President Assimi Goita, took over the country and announced presidential and parliamentary elections next year. The constitution of Mali declared Goita as the president of the transitional period.
In November, Diop said that the general election, which was supposed to end the transition period, will have to be postponed from February 2022 to 2025 due to the volatile security situation.
In 2013, France and Mali signed defence agreements after Paris launched a military operation to counter Islamist militants. The deal gives French troops legal grounds to operate in the country.