Suspension of Cooperation and Expulsion of Diplomats: A New Crisis Between France and Mali

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France has suspended its counterterrorism cooperation with Mali and ordered two Malian diplomats to leave French territory.

The move comes in response to the arrest of a French diplomat in Bamako last August, a French diplomatic source told AFP on Friday.

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According to the same source, the Malian diplomats have until Saturday to leave France. Meanwhile, Bamako declared “five employees” of the French Embassy persona non grata, who left Mali last Sunday.

The French source added that “further measures” would be taken soon if the French national was not promptly released.

Military cooperation between Paris and Bamako has been in sharp decline, raising concerns over the impact of this decision on regional counterterrorism efforts.

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Last month, Mali’s military authorities announced the arrest of a French Embassy staff member on charges of “conspiracy.”

The incident drew strong protests from France, with observers suggesting Paris might use it as an opportunity to reassert itself on the Malian scene.

In August, France said it was in talks with Bamako to “remove any misunderstanding” and secure the “immediate release” of its detained diplomat.

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Paris dismissed Mali’s claims of destabilization as “unfounded,” stressing that the detention violated international conventions on diplomatic immunity.

Last month, Mali’s ruling military council announced that dozens of soldiers had been arrested for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government.

According to the French magazine Le Point, the arrested French national, identified as Yann F., is not an ordinary staff member but a former French Air Force pilot with nearly thirty years of experience. Since last year, he has served as second secretary at the French Embassy in Mali.

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Jeune Afrique further reported that he is suspected of being linked to the French external intelligence agency, the DGSE.

France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected these allegations as “baseless” and condemned the arrest as a violation of international diplomatic agreements, calling for the immediate release of its employee.

Bamako, however, claims that the arrest is part of a “broad conspiracy” threatening state stability that began on August 1, according to Mali’s Minister of Security, General Daoud Aly Mohammedine.

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Malian authorities allege that the French agent was assisting civilian and military figures in plotting against the state, insisting that investigations are being conducted with full transparency.

This is not the first such case. In 2023, similar arrests of individuals linked to the French Embassy occurred in Burkina Faso, before they were eventually released under diplomatic pressure.

Mali has been in turmoil since 2012, plagued by violence carried out by groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and ISIS, along with criminal networks.

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The military council, led by Colonel Assimi Goïta, came to power following two successive coups in 2020 and 2021.

Since then, Mali’s leaders have distanced themselves from Western partners, particularly France, the former colonial power, and have forged closer political and military ties with Russia.

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