PARIS, 29 January, 2021 (TON): The interim President of Mali, Bah N’Daw met French President, Emanuel Macron in Paris to have bilateral talks on cooperation.

Mr N'daw was received on Wednesday 27 January by Emmanuel Macron for a working lunch and discussed the transition in Mali and the G5 summit in Ndjamena to be held on 15 and 16 February.

This was the first meeting for the Malian leader N'daw outside Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that was accompanied by three of his ministers. The Malian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Zeini Moulaye, stated that the exchanges were well and it was a frank and necessary meeting.

A long political crisi could be seen following the ousting of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, since August 2020.

President Macron has said that he intends to “adjust” France’s efforts in the region, and is counting on the new European force, Takuba, to support troops.

In the last week, France announced that some 20 rebels were killed by French forces and their partners in the north of Burkina Faso while, on Tuesday, the Malian army said in a statement that from 2-20 January over 100 of the rebels were killed, 20 captured and several motorcycles and other equipment confiscated.

Both, the French forces and the Malian army are seen offensive in the middle of the country as the statement projected.