Anger in Mali over France - G5 summit in Pau

Anger in Mali following a pledge by France and its five nation partners in the Sahel to bolster efforts against jihadists.

These nations are bent on trumping out jihadists over increasing deadly insurgency in the Sahel region.

In Bamako, the capital city of Mali residents say they’re uninspired.

Amara Bathily is an activist and a member of the Front for the Safeguarding of Democracy (FSD)

“This summit is just folklore. Nothing has changed, nothing has evolved in relation to the demands of Malians. Malians have gone out to a lot of towns, we’ve asked for French troops to withdraw from Mali but they’ve made other proposals. Which was no surprise to us, we already knew that our Heads of State were no match for Macron”, Bathily said.

The prominent role of France is being questioned by many as a former colonial authority in the region.

“We Africans, and specifically Malians, are truly disappointed by the reaction of French President Macron”, Nouhoum Togo, Communication advisor to opposition leader Soumaïla Cissé said.

On Friday, hundreds of people gathered in Bamako to protest the presence of the 4,500 soldiers in France’s Barkhane operation. They carried placards with inscriptions “Down with France, Barkhane must leave” and “France is a brake on our development”.

AFP