Sawt Falasteen - Denmark to pull troops out of Mali after junta demands

The Danish soldiers arrived in Mali just this month to join European special forces supporting Bamako's anti-jihadist operations.

"The coup generals sent out a public statement reiterating that Denmark is not welcome in Mali," Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said.

"Of course we do not accept that. That is why we have also decided... to bring our forces home," Kofod told a press conference after a meeting in parliament.

"We are there at the invitation of Mali. The coup generals, in a dirty political game, have withdrawn that invitation. Unfortunately, it is a game we see because they do not want a quick way back to democracy," Kofod added.

Trine Bramsen, Denmark's Defence Minister, told reporters the troop repatriation would "take some time".

"We cannot stay when the government of Mali does not want us. We are there because Mali has asked us to come and help them, and when they no longer want our help, we have no basis for being there," Bramsen said.

"We don't want to be a laughing stock either," he added.

- 'As soon as possible' -

The Danish army issued a statement saying the withdrawal would take place "as soon as possible" but would likely take "several weeks" to bring home soldiers and equipment.

The junta, which came to power in a coup in August 2020, first asked Denmark to withdraw the forces on Monday, following a deployment it said had been undertaken without consent.

The next day, Kofod told reporters Danish troops were in Mali "on a clear basis" following the invitation and that his government was seeking clarification.

Mali's junta, which came to power in a 2020 coup, responded late Wednesday by repeating the demand, stating it had read Kofod's "inappropriate" comments with "surprise and consternation".

France condemned Mali's expulsion of Danish troops.

"This junta is illegitimate and it is taking irresponsible actions," Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.

"It bears all the responsibility for the withdrawal of the Danish forces and is isolating itself even more from its international partners."

Denmark has previously sent troops to participate in military interventions in Mali, some with the UN's MINUSMA peacekeeping force and others with the French-led Operation Barkhane.

The new contingent was joining Task Force Takuba -- a 900-troop French-led unit launched in March 2020.

Takuba brings together special forces from European nations to advise Malian troops and assist them in combat.

Mali has been struggling to quell a brutal jihadist conflict that first emerged in 2012, before spreading to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Other military contributors are the Netherlands, Estonia, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Italy and Hungary.

- 'Greatness of silence' -

The withdrawal represents a new setback for the European anti-jihadist force, which on Wednesday asked the Malian junta to "respect the solid grounds on which our diplomatic and operational cooperation" is based.

It comes at a time of deteriorating relations between France, which leads the coalition, and Mali.

Relations have soured between the ruling military and France, the former colonial power, since the army seized power.

Tensions rose further from December, when West African states imposed sanctions, including a trade embargo and border closures, on the conflict-torn Sahel nation.

The measures from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) were a response to a junta proposal to stay in power for up to five years before staging elections -- despite an earlier commitment to hold the vote in February.

European countries have also raised concerns over the deployment of mercenaries from Russia's Wagner group on Malian soil.

On Tuesday, Defence Minister Florence Parly accused Mali's junta of multiplying "provocations" when it asked for the Danish withdrawal.

Junta spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga responded to by advising Parly to heed the 19th-century French poet Alfred de Vigny's verses on the "greatness of silence."

B.Khalifa--SF-PST