The power of the military junta in Bamako is once again in the news. On Wednesday, Malian authorities canceled the authorization given to Air France to resume services to Mali. The move comes after the airline announced the resumption of its flights to the country from Friday, after two months of suspension.
According to Malian officials, this authorization was given “without consulting the hierarchy”. As a result, the French company will not be able to resume its flights as planned and will have to wait for a new authorization.
This cancellation comes against a backdrop of tensions between the junta in power in Bamako and France. Indeed, relations between the two countries have deteriorated since the succession of military coups which took place in Mali in 2020 and 2021, in Burkina Faso in 2022 and in Niger in 2023. France, a former colonial power engaged militarily in the region, was forced to repatriate part of its personnel and extended the “red zone” classification to the capitals of these three countries.
To justify its decision to resume flights to Mali, Air France announced that it would use a plane and crews from a third party company, the Portuguese company EuroAtlantic Airways. This solution had been considered due to the recommendations of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs which formally advised the French against traveling to Mali for security reasons.
Pending new authorization from the Malian authorities, it is therefore uncertain when Air France flights to Mali will be able to resume. This situation once again demonstrates the challenges that airlines must face in an unstable geopolitical context.
It is important to monitor this situation closely and stay informed about developments regarding flights to Mali.