MALI HAS NO CONTRACT WITH PRIVATE MILITARY COMPANY WAGNER -FM

Thu 11 November 2021:

Malian authorities have not signed any contracts with Russian private military companies, according to Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop, who described the claims as a smear campaign.

“As for our cooperation with a private military company, we have already discussed this directly with our French colleagues. I confirmed that no contracts in this area were signed,” Diop said at a press conference following negotiations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Lavrov said at the press conference, which was dedicated to his trip to the UN General Assembly session in New York, that the Malian government sought help from Russia’s private military company in the fight against terrorism, and Moscow had nothing to do with it.

Lavrov said the issue of hiring a PMC for protection purposes lies entirely within the exclusive authority of Mali’s legitimate government.

He stressed that the Russian authorities have nothing to do with the activities of “any such structures” created by Russian citizens, pointing out that they sign contracts independently.

“If these contracts are concluded with legitimate governments of sovereign states, I do not understand what can be seen as negative here,” he said.

Mali’s primary concern is the security of its territory and people, and the government will take whatever steps it considers appropriate in this regard, the minister added.

“Any state protects its interests. Why should Mali protect the interests of another country? We protect the interests of our population. We are not concerned about cooperation with PMCs… we are concerned about how to ensure the security of our territory, our residents,” he said.

Diop added that Mali does not question France’s decision to reduce its military presence in the north of the country, however, the security situation is extremely difficult and demands uniting efforts to ensure the safety of the country and its people once the French troops leave.

Lavrov noted that Western countries developed the market for private military contractors, with the United States, the United Kingdom, and France are leaders in terms of the number of such firms. He argued, attempts to damage Russia’s reputation by accusing it of possessing PMCs are irrelevant.

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