By Oyintari Ben
The Malian junta declared Monday night that it will outlaw all French-funded or -supported non-governmental groups, including those engaged in humanitarian work.
Many NGOs that France has supported despite the rapid deterioration in relations between the two nations for more than a year are likely to be impacted by this move.
In a statement shared on social media, the acting Pime Minister, Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, cited France’s recent announcement that it had discontinued its formal development support to Mali as justification for the choice.
The use of the Russian paramilitary force Wagner by Malian authorities was mentioned by the French Foreign Ministry.
In accordance with the Quai d’Orsay, France was to continue providing “humanitarian aid” and limited support to Malian civil society organizations.
In his statement, Colonel Maiga criticized “fanciful claims” as well as a “subterfuge meant to deceive and manipulate national and international public opinion with the objective of destabilizing and isolating Mali.
The statement read, “As a result, the transitional government has decided to prohibit, with immediate effect, all operations carried out by NGOs operating in Mali with money or with material or technical support from France, particularly in the humanitarian field.”
In Mali, there are numerous NGOs working in the areas of food, health, and education. Since 2012, the poor, landlocked nation has experienced not only the spread of jihadism and other forms of violence, but also a dire political and humanitarian crisis. The fighting has caused hundreds of thousands of people to be displaced.
Concern over France’s suspension of aid was voiced by a number of NGOs, including CCFD Terre-Solidaire, Handicap International, Médecins du Monde, and Oxfam.
