In reaction to the Malian transitional authorities’ call on the French Ambassador to Mali, Joël Meyer, to leave the country within 72 hours, the European Union joins France in inviting “the Malian authorities to de-escalate”.
“The European Union, fully committed to peace and stability in the Sahel, expresses at the request of the states and in support of the peoples its support and solidarity with France and deeply regrets the decision of the Malian transitional authorities", stressed the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, in a statement issued on behalf of the EU27 in the evening of Wednesday 2 February.
The EU “calls on the Malian authorities to be restrained and not to repeat unacceptable behaviour towards their European partners, such as the decision towards Denmark, which has been asked to withdraw its troop contingent for no valid reason”, the statement continued.
Mr Borrell reiterated the EU’s solidarity with the positions taken by ECOWAS and also recalled that the adoption of targeted sanctions against those obstructing the completion of the political transition in Mali was being finalised (see EUROPE 12882/26).
The High Representative warned that “this isolation is detrimental to the common goal of fighting terrorism, and it is detrimental to the humanitarian situation and, in the long run, to sustainable development and stability”.
For his part, the Malian Foreign Minister, Abdoulaye Diop, speaking a few hours earlier, had justified as “a position of principle” the dismissal of the ambassador of a country “which challenges the legitimacy and legality of the authorities to which the ambassador is accredited”, adding that “the French remain welcome in Mali”.
When asked, on Thursday 3 February, about the risk that these sanctions could aggravate the situation, two weeks before the sixth summit between the EU and the African Union (see EUROPE 12882/15), the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS), Nabila Massrali, told the press that “sanctions are one tool among others in the EU’s foreign policy” and that the High Representative had conveyed his message during his meeting with Abdoulaye Diop on 26 January in Brussels (see EUROPE 12878/2).
On Wednesday, in front of the MEPs of the European Parliament’s Committees on Foreign Affairs and Development, Bernard Quintin, Deputy Director for Africa at the EEAS, stressed that the request made by the Malian authorities to ECOWAS for an extension of the transition of four to five years is “unacceptable, legally in terms of the texts that govern an 18-month transition, politically in terms of the importance of giving the population a voice, as well as in terms of the commitments made to African and European partners”.
As for Burkina Faso, he recalled that on 26 January, on behalf of the EU27, Mr Borrell had condemned the coup d’état and called for an immediate return to constitutional order (see EUROPE 12877/13), “as did all the partners” of the country, and that ECOWAS and the African Union were, moreover, active in the country.
The ECOWAS heads of state, meeting on Thursday 3 February in Accra (Ghana), could adopt sanctions unless a commitment is made by the military authorities on the timetable for handing over power to civilians and on the holding of elections, he said.
In his view, it was too early to have a definite opinion on the consequences of the coup d’état on cooperation between the EU and Burkina Faso because of questions about the intentions of the military, whose motives were unclear as to whether they were motivated by personal interests or the fight against the terrorist threat.
“The EEAS remains in favour of making contact in order to convey the essential messages to avoid a drift as in Mali, and wishes to continue the financial commitments to support Burkina Faso’s efforts against terrorist groups.
With regard to development cooperation, “an outright freeze is not envisaged at this stage”.
For 2021-2024, €384 million is committed to three priorities: - peace, social cohesion, good governance and local development; - inclusive human development (social protection and access to basic services); - the green and resilient economy, with the aim of contributing to green growth and job creation. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)