Mali: Is the Removal of Danish Troops Tied to Ukraine Crisis?
The trials and tribulations of European contingents in Task Force Takuba created by France and a Coalition of partners, as a way to support the Mali Government combat Jihadists, continues.
“Mali’s transitional government asked Denmark on Monday to withdraw “immediately” the hundred or so soldiers who recently arrived in the country to take part in the European special forces grouping Takuba initiated by France.
The Malian government said in a statement read on national television and published on social networks that “this deployment occurred without its consent.
Denmark announced last week the arrival in Mali of 90 men, mostly elite soldiers and military surgeons, who are supposed to participate in Takuba to protect civilians against jihadists in the so-called tri-border area (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger) and be based in Menaka (eastern Mali).” Africa News Said
The current government of Mali is a Junta composed of former and serving military officers that recently invited in a contingent of the Wagner Group, a Russian backed private military company (PMC). Wagner Group has been accused of Human Rights violations and War Crimes while supporting a faction in the Libyan Civil War. The United Nations, African Union and European have publicly condemned the Mali governments support of the Wagner Group deployment to Mali.
This Danish deployment has been planned and publicly announced since April 2021. The current Junta says no bilateral accord was signed between Denmark and Mali. This needs clarity as the previous government may have signed one or it was stated the Denmark contingent would work as part of France and other European countries’ special operations Task Force in Mali.
The real cause may be the current tensions in Europe over the Russia-Ukraine Crisis, and statements made by Denmark on this crisis as a member of NATO.
“The tensions over Ukraine have contributed to a rise in oil, with the latest Russia-U.S. talks on Friday failing to produce any big breakthrough. Russia is demanding that NATO withdraw a promise to let Ukraine join one day and that the alliance pull back troops and weaponry from former Communist countries in eastern Europe that joined it after the Cold War.
Washington says those demands are non-starters but it is ready to discuss other ideas on arms control, missile deployments and confidence-building measures. The United States and the European Union have warned Russia not to invade Ukraine. Denmark said the EU was ready to impose “never-seen-before” economic sanctions and EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels said they would send a unified warning to Moscow.” (devdiscourse.com)
So, the proclamation by the Mali Government for Denmark to remove its Troop Contingent from Task Force Takuba, could be at the behest of the Kremlin. This is to punish Denmark for its solidarity with NATO and EU allies in its resolve against Russia’s actions in the Ukraine Crisis.
So, with the insertion of Wagner Group, Russia and Mali are practicing proxy warfare which has its roots in the Cold War and even earlier in modern history.
“Proxy wars are the product of a relationship between a benefactor, who is a state or non-state actor external to the dynamic of an existing conflict, and the chosen proxies who are the conduit for the benefactor’s weapons, training and funding. In short, proxy wars are the logical replacement for states seeking to further their own strategic goals yet at the same time avoid engaging in direct, costly and bloody warfare.” Full article: Proxy Warfare and the Future of Conflict (tandfonline.com)
This action by the Mali Government may further antagonize European states that were willing to support an Anti-Jihadist Campaign in Mali. This issue needs to be carefully followed as there is a “ripple effect” in both Africa and Europe.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Newslooks.com
