Malians Gather To Support National Army, Criticize France - Correspondent

BAMAKO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th May, 2022) A demonstration in support of the Malian armed forces took place on Friday in Mali's capital, Bamako, as participants expressed dissatisfaction with France's actions in the country, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

On April 20, the Malian armed forces entered a former French military base in the town of Gossi and reportedly discovered a mass grave. The French authorities have denied any involvement in the burials and insisted they were staged by the Russians, the claim that has been since heavily disputed by the locals and Moscow.

The demonstration took place in Bamako near the Monument of Independence. Hundreds of Malians have expressed dissatisfaction with the France's actions, accusing the French military of the mass killings in Gossi and expressing support for Russia on the matter.

The rally participants held posters with slogans "Thousands of children are victims of Macron (White racist)", "Macron, what did you need your drones for?", "Russia in defense of Africa", "Macron is the butcher of Gossi".

The French-led military task force Takuba was founded in 2014 by a number of European countries to advise and assist the Malian military in their fight against terrorism in Sahel. On February 17, 2022 France and its allies, along with a small number of Canadian soldiers, began a joint troop pullout from Mali due to disagreements with the African nation's transitional government, which came to power as a result of a military takeover.