Mali PM accuses France of working to divide his country

SANAA, Feb. 08 (YPA) – Mali accused France of working to divide the country through its military presence.

Mali’s Prime Minister, Choguel Kokalla Maïga, told that in front of accredited diplomats in the capital, Bamako.

“After the French soldiers helped us liberate northern Mali from the grip of jihadist groups, the intervention turned in a second stage into a de facto partition of Mali, based on the establishment of a sanctuary on a part of our territory that allowed the terrorists to return to it and re-organize strongly their ranks in 2014,” he added.

Maïga said, “we cannot be subjugated and enslaved, this time is over,” referring to colonialism.

Since the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have imposed sanctions on Mali on January 9 backed by France and other partner countries, the Malian Military Council ruling in Bamako has been stressing the country’s sovereignty.

AA