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Germany on Tuesday criticised as “unjustified” the Mali junta’s decision to expel France’s ambassador and said it stood alongside its French ally.
“Unjustified expulsion of the French ambassador leads to a dead end,” the German foreign ministry tweeted.
“Need dialogue, not escalation for the shared goal of security for Mali and the fight against terrorism. We stand firmly by France’s side.”
The French government said earlier Tuesday that it was reviewing along with its EU partners its military presence in Mali following the expulsion.
Mali on Monday said it had given envoy Joel Meyer 72 hours to leave in the light of “hostile” remarks made by French government officals.
The junta’s statement notably referenced French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. He had told reporters on January 27 that Mali’s junta was “illegitimate” and its decisions “irresponsible”.
The expulsion comes amid growing alarm in France and its European allies at the junta’s reported decision to hire mercenaries from the Russian paramilitary group Wagner.
The spat has stirred doubts over France’s continued military support for Mali, a deeply poor former French colony and ally battling a nearly decade-long anti-jihadist campaign.
Germany has around 1,500 soldiers in Mali as part of the United Nations’ MINUSMA peacekeeping mission and an EU mission to train Malian soldiers.
(AFP)
