Malian diaspora in Paris gathers in support of Bamako's ruling junta

Hundreds of members of Mali’s diaspora gathered in Montreuil, near Paris, on Monday in a show of support for the country’s ruling junta.

Mali was hit by coordinated nationwide attacks over the weekend after jihadist militants joined forces with separatist rebels.

"We can't stay indifferent [to the current unrest in Mali]. We have brothers, sisters, mothers, and relatives over there," said Dalla Drame, President of the High Council of Malians in France.

"So we felt that, while it's true that we're on the other side of the Mediterranean, the best way for us to show them that we're here, that we're thinking of them, that we support them, was to hold this gathering here today,” she added.

Authorities haven’t released an official death toll but the country’s defensce minister was among the victims.

Mali has been under military rule since the 2020 coup that brought General Assimi Goita to power.

"It's not about the government," Djeneba Keita, Deputy Mayor of Montreuil, told reporters.

"We understand geopolitics; we know the issues at stake. But we say we need to set all that aside and focus on the people," he added.

Keita emphasised the death of civilians and called on "the French people, the French government, the French elites, and the international community to come to Mali's aid.”

Goita has turned away from Western allies — including former colonial power, France — and turned to Russia for help combating Islamic militants.

But the weekend’s offensive saw Russian fighters forced to withdraw from the strategic northern town of Kidal, which is now under the control of separatists.