France and Mali reach step towards normalisation
In spite of tensions between France and Juntas in Sahel, Malian citizens will be allowed to enter Europe under new travel documents with the logo of the newly formed Alliance of Sahel States, says le Monde on April 18th.
After a tumultuous period that saw the expulsion of the French forces from the Sahel and the creation of the new Alliance of Sahel States, France and Mali have reached a milestone towards normalisation.
The new passport, which contains the flag of the Alliance of Sahel States and its motto “one space, one people, one destiny” has been recognized by France after several months of procedure, according to diplomatic sources. It is produced by Idemia, a French company specialised in identity-related security services.
This follows a feud, starting 2023, when the Malian junta accused Idemia (then Oberthur) of withholding the civil data that the company had collected since it signed a 10 year contract in 2015 with former president Boubacar Keita.
Back then, the junta had claimed it was unable to organise free elections due to the lack of information on the electorate, which the opposition had called “a pretext appealing to nationalistic and patriotic feelings.” Idemia had refuted the allegations, saying Malian authorities “always had access to the system and its data.”
The conditions of the awarding of the contract to Idemia, were also under investigation after the judiciary opened a case on suspicions of bias, suspecting the french Foreign minister of using its influence to convince Keita to award the contract to the French company. Jean-Yve Le Drian refuted the accusations and the case was eventually closed.
Despite the accreditation of the new passports, France has not moved on its 2022 decision to drastically limitate the number of visas awarded to citizens of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
Following a succession of coups, the three countries formed the AES, with the new juntas in power demanding the departure of the French troops in their territory that were engaging terrorist groups in the Sahel.
Le Monde, Maghrebi
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