Faith Nyasuguta
The military bosses in Mali have prohibited all non-governmental organisations currently funded or supported by France from operating in the nation.
The ban includes humanitarian groups.
Via a statement, the junta noted that the move followed France’s decision to stop development aid over Bamako’s alleged use of paramilitaries from the Russian Wagner group.
Mali’s provisional Prime Minister Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga denied those allegations, saying they were targeting the destabilisation of the country. He noted that the Russians were working as instructors.
Mali’s foreign ministry described the French government as “dehumanising aid for our people” and said France was using the funds to “blackmail governments and support the terrorist groups in Mali“.
According to the ministry, it had in response moved to “ban all the operations undertaken in Mali by NGOs funded or technically supported by France, including humanitarian organisations“.
Some three months ago, Paris withdrew French troops working with Mali to counter jihadist groups.
