As Europe withdraws from Mali, Russia gets the upper hand
Atlantic CouncilJun 08, 2022
Mali's government announced on Mon. that at least 132 civilians were killed by suspected Islamist extremists in multiple attacks on villages in the country's central Mopti region over the weekend.
Bamako blamed the al-Qaeda-affiliated Macina Katiba for the mass killings in Diallassagou and the nearby villages of Diaweli and Dessagou in the Bankass commune.
The fallout from the Malian government's hostility towards France and its European partners is becoming increasingly apparent. Now that the shadowy Russian Wagner group is active in the country, the security situation is rapidly deteriorating. Wagner isn't focused on the people's security, but rather on the pursuit of its own and Moscow's interests. The West is now well-advised to offer its anti-terror support to countries in West Africa.
The deteriorating security crisis in West Africa is primarily the result of the West's decade-long political and military interference under the guise of fighting terrorism. It's no coincidence that anti-European - especially anti-French sentiment - is on the rise, while calls for Russian engagement have recently grown louder. There's hope for the region only when it's no longer possible for the West to pursue its geopolitical interests unchallenged.