Mali demands immediate withdrawal of troops deployed by Denmark

On Monday, January 24, 2022, Denmark has deployed its troops to the West African nation, but the government of Mali has asked the country to withdraw the deployed military. The deployment of troops have been done as part of a French-led counter-terrorism task force, but it was informed that the army troops were not following the protocols properly.

The government of Mali issued a statement on the matter and read,” The government of Mali asked the Danish government as the deployment of the Danish special forces at the territory of the country within the Takuba force”.

It further asserted that the country had deployed their contingent at the borders of mali without their consent. They also said that Danish had also not considered the additional protocol that should apply to the task force, further noting that Denmark had to withdraw the troops immediately.

As per the statement, it was highlighted that all partners in the task force have to present the accord with the government before deployments in the country.

After the tensions between Mali and its international partners, including regional bodies and the European Union, the government has taken the decisions. These regional bodies have also sanctioned Mali after failing to organize the elections following military coups.

It was also provided that EU countries have accused the transitional authorities, Mali, to develop private military contractors with the Russia-backed Wagner Group and also s7rged the tensions between them. Further, the EU countries have also said that this decision of the government of Mali was incompatible with their mission.

As per some reports, the Danish government deployed about 90 personnel across the borders, including surgeons and the Danish army special forces, and logistics support. Moreover, the mandate is expected to last until early 2023.

In order to conduct a French counter-terrorism operation in the West African Sahel region, the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, has also reduced its task force from its initial 5,000 strong force, and the Hakuba Task Force was deployed as a partial successor.

The task force is provided particular logistical and tactical support against Islamist militants and consists of some 14 European countries.

On the matter, the Danish government explained,” The primary aim of the deployment of the troops is to stabilize Mali and parts of the Liptako-Gourma three-country area. The three countries encompass Mali, Niger, and Burkino Faso, and they want to protect civilians against the terrorist groups”.