Mali - Q&A - (27 Dec. 2021)

Q: The Malian government denies that it is deploying any mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group in Mali. It says they are Russian trainers who are in the country as part of a partnership between Moscow and Bamako. What is France’s response, as it was one of some 15 Western countries that on Thursday announced this deployment?

A: I refer you to the language in the joint statement we issued with some 15 of Mali’s international partners on December 23.