The military government of Mali has expelled France's ambassador. The move is a low point in relations between the West African nation and their former colonial rulers. 

Mali is the epicenter of a long-running conflict with Islamist forces in the Sahel, a vast belt of primarily arid land south of the Sahara desert. Despite thousands of French troops being deployed to the region, the conflict has worsened, creating a humanitarian crisis. 

Why are French troops in Mali? 

The militant threat first came to Mali in 2012, when Islamist fighters, some with links to al Qaeda, hijacked an ethnic Tuareg uprising.

After signing a defense agreement with the then Mali government, the French military pushed the militants back, dubbed Operation Barkhane. The militants regrouped, however, and in 2015 unleashed a wave of deadly attacks that spread to Burkina Faso and Niger.

Since then, despite the military involvement of the U.S., UK, and others, the insurgency has grown. 

Underequipped armies have struggled, and the blame has largely fallen on civilian administrations and the Western powers that support them, both of which have been tarnished by public perceptions of corruption and failure to defeat the militants.  

Coup in 2020

Malian public anger helped pave the way for a 2020 coup. A group of Malian colonels seized power in August 2020, ousting President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Under pressure from Mali's West African neighbors, the military agreed to cede control to a civilian-led interim government tasked with overseeing an 18-month transition to democratic elections in February 2022.

But the coup leaders soon clashed with the new interim president, retired colonel Bah Ndaw. A second coup in May 2021 saw Colonel Assimi Goita, who had been serving as interim vice president, elevated to the presidency.

The military government had initially agreed to hold elections this February. It has since backtracked and recently proposed a new date of December 2025, leading to sanctions from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). 

Thousands protested to the move, many shouting slogans against France and ECOWAS, signifying popular support for the Malian government. 

Why was the ambassador recalled? 

The end of 2021 saw the new Malian government repeatedly accuse France of interfering in the country's affairs. In January, Mali asked France to review the defense pact signed in 2013, which saw French troops initially enter the country. 

In late January, tensions came to a head when French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that Mali's junta was illegitimate and "out of control.” He was supported by the French Defence Minister Florence Parly, who warned French troops would not stay in Mali if the price were too high.

The junta responded, labeling Le Drain's comments "hostile and outrageous" and giving France's ambassador 72 hours to leave the country. 

How did France respond? 

Following the expulsion, Le Drian told French lawmakers: "Our will remains intact, and it is not an irresponsible event, which ... is down to the illegitimacy of a coup d'etat government that will stop us fighting terrorism." 

The EU has agreed to impose travel bans and asset freezes on five members of Mali's junta after the military rulers, citing their decision to postpone elections. 

But the punitive response could only worsen an increasingly desperate situation for those living in the conflict zone. 

Across the Sahel, thousands of people have been killed in the fighting violence leaving Mali and nearby Niger and Burkina Faso in crisis.

Millions have been forced to leave their villages, creating a burden for urban centers and families who support them, while in some rural areas, local government has vanished.

The conflict looks set to bleed into other nations. Analysts and diplomats have said France may seek to increase support for coastal West African countries. Militants could threaten international mining operations and the stability of nations France deems strategically crucial, Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana.