A few weeks ago, it emerged that Mali’s military government led by Colonel Assimi Goïta was close to hiring 1,000 paramilitaries from Russian private-security firm Wagner, which incensed France.

This was necessary because France has refused to reduce its military deployment in the semi-arid Sahel region.

During the recent UN General Assembly, the interim prime minister of Mali, Choguel Kokalla Maiga expressed his full frustration with France attitude of not reducing their military at Sahel region.

This propelled the incumbent President of France, Emmanuel Macron to attack this comment.  

Macron said that, “Maiga’s comment at UN General Assembly is unacceptable .Mali’s government was not even really one because of the coup in Mali led by Colonel Assimi Goïta in May”.

And from Mali, Colonel Goita hit back at Macron. This is what he said: “We prefer open mercenaries than enemies disguise as friends.

Neocolonialism has been going on for too long even at this moment as I speak and France has benefited so much from it. I’m not against the nation France or it’s citizens but I stand firm against their politics especially their foreign politics  towards africa.

The time is here,Where Malians are to decide who is to stay and who must leave and not France to decide when to leave or not and the people of Mali  have decided that France must leave. Once more I repeat that we prefer open enemies than enemies disguised as friends.  France must leave”.