A French soldier manicured a machine gun in the door of a NH 90 Caiman military helicopter during Operation Barkhane over Ndaki, Mali, July 29.2019. ReUTERS Benoit Tessier File Photo Benoit Tessier Retter
The French Armed Forces Minister in the Sahel region arrived at Niger on Sunday as part of a two-day visit to allies in Niger where French-led military operations against Islamist militants are under threat from Mali's talks with Muslim defence contractors.
Diplomatic and security sources tell Reuters that France has launched a year-old military junta in Russia to recruit the Italian Wagner Group, and Mali is close to launching a diplomatic drive to thwart it, saying such an arrangement is incompatible with a continued French presence. But in the face of such a politically dynamic situation, Mali's junta intervened, noting that Germany has began scaling down its decade-old operation against insurgents linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State in the region, expecting other European countries like France to get involved as well.
On Sunday, Mali's foreign ministry called objections from Niger to the prospect of a deal with Wagner unacceptable, unfriendly and condescending A few days ago Paris said it had killed the leader of Islamic State in Northern Mali, but France has nevertheless found the junta more difficult to deal with than the preceding civilian governments.
A French Armed Forces Ministry source briefing reporters said Parly would discuss France's plans to redesign its operations with countries in the region, warn of consequences if Mali secured Wagner's services and stress the importance of the junta holding a democratic election next February, as promised. The French army started redeploying troops from its base in Mali at the start of this month, said French army sources.
Germany wishes to complete the redeployment by January. It is reducing its contingent to 2,500 - 3,000 from about 5,000, moving more assets into Niger and encouraging local forces to work alongside EU special forces.
The European force based in the Sahel so far comprises about 600 personnel from nine countries.