France Withdraws Diplomatic Staff from Mali Amid Deteriorating Security and Fuel Crisis
PARIS – France has begun a partial withdrawal of its diplomatic personnel from Mali, citing a rapidly worsening security situation exacerbated by a jihadist-imposed fuel blockade that has crippled daily life in the West African nation.
The French foreign ministry confirmed the decision but did not specify the number of staff being pulled out from its embassy in Bamako. This move comes just weeks after Paris issued a strong advisory urging all French citizens in Mali to leave “as soon as possible.”
The security environment in Mali has been in a steady decline for years, but recent weeks have seen a critical escalation due to the blockade. Jihadist groups have effectively cut off fuel supplies, disrupting transportation, commerce, and essential services in the capital and other regions.
The decision also reflects the profound breakdown in relations between France and Mali’s current military leadership. The junta, which seized power in a coup, has openly distanced itself from its former colonial ruler. Following a pattern seen in neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, which are also under military rule, Mali’s leaders have expelled French forces and turned to Russia for security cooperation, bringing in mercenaries from the Wagner Group.
However, French officials and independent analysts contend that the growing Russian footprint in the region has failed to stem the violence. Instead of improving security, they argue, the involvement has not halted the advance of jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, which continue to operate across vast swathes of the country.
The partial diplomatic drawdown signals a further recalibration of France’s presence in the Sahel, a region where it once led a major counter-terrorism operation. While France maintains its commitment to the broader fight against extremism, the deteriorating conditions and hostile political environment in Bamako have made a full-scale diplomatic presence untenable for now.
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