Mali summons French ambassador after critical remarks by Emmanuel Macron

The Malian Foreign Ministry summoned the French ambassador on Tuesday after remarks deemed "regrettable" and "unfriendly" by Emmanuel Macron against the military junta in power. The French president called earlier for "the state to return" to Mali.

After Algeria , it is Mali 's turn   to express its anger against France . The Malian Foreign Ministry summoned, Tuesday, October 5, the French Ambassador to Bamako, Joël Meyer, to express his discontent and indignation after comments by French President Emmanuel Macron, described as unfriendly.

Emmanuel Macron called earlier for "the state to come back" to Mali, in a context of strong tensions with the Sahelian country, where France is in the process of reducing its military system. "The State must return with its justice, its education, its police everywhere, in particular in Mali", where whole swathes of territory remain on their own in the face of jihadists, inter-community tensions and trafficking, a- he said.

According to a statement reporting the remarks of the head of Malian diplomacy, Abdoulaye Diop, Mali castigates the "unfriendly and derogatory remarks" of Emmanuel Macron and expresses a "strong protest against these regrettable remarks", "likely to harm the development of friendly relations ".

"The minister called on the French authorities to exercise restraint, avoiding value judgments," commented the Foreign Ministry.

During his meeting with the French ambassador, Abdoulaye Diop called for a constructive approach from both parties, with priority given to the fight against insurgent groups in the region.

These words have precedents. During the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), Malian Prime Minister Choguel Maïga criticized France for abandoning Mali in the fight against Islamist groups with his decision to withdraw the Barkhane force.

He also deplored a "lack of consultation" and a "unilateral" announcement without tripartite coordination with the UN and the Malian government.

The French president then responded by qualifying, last Thursday, as "shame" the accusations of "abandonment in full flight" of Mali by France. "This dishonours what is not even a government" resulting from "two coups d'état", declared the French head of state, who replied to RFI on the sidelines of the closing dinner of the Africa2020 Season at the Elysium.

Verbal contests that worsen bilateral tensions.