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France suspends its development aid with Mali. The decision, which dates back a few weeks, was made public on Thursday. The Quai D’Orsay highlights the recourse of the Malian junta to the Russian military group Wagner, which Bamako denies.
Le Quai adds that Paris nevertheless maintains its “ humanitarian aid » and some supports to « Malian civil society organizations “, without specifying which ones. This decision creates a stir within NGOs. In 2020, France provided 130 million euros in development aid to Mali. In a letter addressed to the President of the Republic, they denounce the consequences of this suspension on vulnerable populations.
Louis-Nicolas Jandeaux, advocacy officer at Oxfam France, denounces a decision motivated by tensions between France and Mali: ” All this development aid is completely sacrificed by a diplomatic failure in the Sahel region. There is a real consequence, which is that of the very existence of Malian civil society organizations, which will lose almost all their funding. Yet it is once once more the latter who ensure the improvement of gender equality in the country, which militates for the defense of democracy. »
Louis-Nicolas Jandeaux underlines the paradox between the announced strategic change of France in the region and this decision: “ It is totally paradoxical with the strategic turn desired by France in the region, which wanted to reorient its policy towards more development actions, empowerment of Sahelian actors. It’s really a decision that goes once morest all that. »
« We are in a process that is starting »
For Bruno Fuchs, French member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, it’s too early to shout haro: “ First, things are not completely settled. We are in a process that is starting, which is to say that politically, France can no longer work with the Malian state. And then, I think, case by case, we have to see with which associations and in which situations we can continue to work in Mali. It will also be necessary to consider security issues, the feasibility, the ability to ensure development aid, but France must remain with the people of Mali. »
« We cannot leave today Wagner and also Malian in the face of armed jihadist groups who claim to protect the population.insists the French deputy. So the emergency aid, that’s for sure, it will continue on the French side. And for the rest, I think there will be discussions from the next few days to see the scope of the aid that France will continue to grant. ? »
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