Anti-France protest rally held in Mali

Hundreds of residents of the Malian capital, Bamako, have protested, demanding the withdrawal of the French military contingent from the African country, Report informs via foreign media.

Demonstrators gathered in the center of Bamako chanted slogans demanding the withdrawal of French troops stationed in Mali since 2014.

One of the protest organizers, Abu Bakr Sidiki Fomba, said that Operation Barkhane had lost its legitimacy and that locals no longer trusted the French.

Mali's military junta, which came to power in a coup on May 24, 2021, postponed democratic elections for five years on January 2.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held an emergency meeting on January 9 in Accra, Ghana.

France submitted a statement to the UN Security Council on January 12 supporting ECOWAS sanctions against Mali.