Mali's foreign minister accuses France of 'espionage and destabilising acts' at UN

Mali's foreign affairs minister says the military government will exercise its right to self-defence if France "continues to undermine'" the country's sovereignty and national security.

Mali's foreign minister Abdoulaye Diop speaking at the United Nations in New York, Tuesday 18 October 2022 © United Nations

Speaking at a United Nations Security Council briefing on Mali in New York, Minister Abdoulaye Diop repeated allegations that France had violated its airspace and delivered arms to Islamist militants that have been waging an offensive in northern Mali for the past decade.

France has denied this.

Its relations with Mali have soured since an August 2020 coup and it is withdrawing troops sent in 2013 to help fight the insurgency.

"There needs to be a specific meeting of the Security Council which will make it possible for us to bring to light evidence regarding duplicitous acts, acts of espionage and acts of destabilization waged by France," Diop said.

"The government of Mali reserves the right to exercise its right to self-defence … if France continues to undermine the sovereignty of our country and to undermine its territorial integrity and its national security," he added.

France's representative at the UN slammed the accusations as defamatory, defended French intervention in Mali as fully transparent and said the country had never violated Malian airspace.

#Mali | @UN_MINUSMA is today a mission in danger.

Statement by @NDeRiviere at the Security Council ⤵️https://t.co/ipKqpUJhIn https://t.co/DlOxiGZbI1

— La France à l'ONU 🇫🇷🇺🇳 (@franceonu) October 18, 2022

Human rights violations by Malian troops

Diop also went on to deny alleged human rights violations by the Malian army reported by the UN and other groups.

Several reports, including the latest UN Secretary-General assessment, accuse Malian soldiers and Russian mercenaries collaborating with the military government of abusing and killing civilians suspected of colluding with jihadists.

Diop called the allegations "unfounded"  and warned against "instrumentalising" human rights issues.

He maintained that the departure of hundreds of foreign troops would not create a security vacuum.

Other European countries have ended their military involvement in Mali this year, often citing the junta's collaboration with Russian fighters.

Mémorandum du Gouvernement du Mali sur le rapport trimestriel du Secrétaire général des Nations Unies sur la situation au Mali, couvrant la période
du 03 juin au 19 septembre 2022.

Le lien 👉🏾 https://t.co/QYcTJJQ2W4

— Ministère des Affaires étrangères du Mali (@MaliMaeci) October 16, 2022

• Mali accuses France of arming jihadists in letter sent to UN
• Mali blasts Macron and France over 'neocolonial' attitude as relations deteriorate

Jihadists claim more territory

Meanwhile, Islamist militants have since advanced further into eastern Mali, seizing territory and killing hundreds of civilians as thousands more fled.

Four UN peacekeepers were killed in a separate attack in the north of the country on Monday.

Mali has faced instability since 2012, when Islamist militants hijacked a Tuareg rebellion in the north.

France intervened to help push them out. However, the militants – some with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State – have since regrouped and spread across the Sahel and further south towards coastal states.