Mali Accuses France Of Arming Extremist Militants in Sahel

By Staff, Agencies

Mali accused France of violating its airspace and delivering arms to extremist militants to destabilize the west African country, the latest in a barrage of accusations that marked the bitter end to their once close relations.

In a letter to the head of the United Nations Security Council dated Monday, Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said his nation’s airspace was breached more than 50 times this year, mostly by French forces using drones, military helicopters, and fighter jets.

There was no immediate comment from the French authorities.

"These flagrant violations of Malian airspace were used by France to collect information for terrorist groups operating in the Sahel and to drop arms and ammunition to them," the letter said.

Mali said it has evidence – but did not provide any – showing that France supplied arms to terrorist groups that Paris spent a decade and billions of dollars to stamp out in its former colony.

The accusations marked a new low in relations as France pulls the last of its troops out of Mali.