Mali and Niger simultaneously denounce double taxation agreements with France

In a joint statement on Tuesday, the military regimes of Mali and Niger announced that they were denouncing their double taxation agreements with France, continuing the unraveling of ties with Paris and the tightening of their relations.

In the statement, the governments of the two Sahelian countries cited "France's persistent hostile attitude against our States" and "the unbalanced nature of these agreements, which cause a considerable loss of revenue for Mali and Niger".

The agreements will expire "within three months", they say.

The practical implications of these denunciations are not immediately clear.

The website of the French tax authorities indicates that France has been linked with Mali and Niger respectively since 1972 and 1965 by conventions "tending to avoid ("eliminate" for Niger) double taxation and to establish rules of reciprocal assistance" in tax matters.

The agreements cover personal and corporate income tax, inheritance tax, and registration duties.

This denunciation is the latest act in the unraveling of Mali's and Niger's ties with France since the military seized power by force in Bamako in 2020 and Niamey in 2023. The authorities of another Sahelian country whose military took over in 2022, Burkina Faso, had already denounced the tax treaty with France a few months ago.

The three countries, faced with jihadism and similar problems, allied this year, and their foreign ministers have just proposed the creation of a confederation.