In his 8 October 2021 interview with RIA-Novosti, Malian Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maïga, accused the French secret services of training the same terrorists that the French army is said to be fighting.

On 23 December 2021, France addressed a note to Mali – co-signed by Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Canada, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Romania, the Czech Republic and Sweden – deploring its use of the private Russian military company Wagner, for being a drain on the country’s budget.

On 11 January 2022, Mali denounced a violation of its airspace by French special forces (“Mission Barkhane”). General Laurent Michon responded that he merely abided by the agreement concluded during “Operation Serval”. The Malian Transitional government then canceled all agreements and the French forces initiated their withdrawal.

On 3 July, ECOWAS lifted the sanctions it had imposed on Mali on January 9th.

Three days later, on 6 July, the Transitional Government of Mali submitted to the Security Council a detailed timetable of the political reforms to be enacted pending the February 2024 presidential election,

On 9 August, the Russian Federation delivered a large batch of planes and helicopters to the Malian army.

Mali’s transitional president Colonel Assimi Goïta approached the Security Council on 16 August, asking it to hold a special meeting on France’s support for the jihadists. In his letter, he claims to have proof of the French double game going on in Mali.