Pentagon cuts off backing to Mali’s military after coup
MIKE GLENN AUGUST 21, 2020
The Pentagon has cut off assistance to
Mali’s armed forces after a military takeover on Tuesday that ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta from office. In a statement released Friday, the Department of Defense said it “strongly condemns the act of mutiny” and continues to monitor the situation.
The U.S. has had a longstanding partnership with
Mali in the campaign against terrorism since fighters linked to al-Qaeda took over major towns in the northern part of the country and implemented a strict interpretation of Islamic law. Now that effort has been suspended since the military coup that deposed the 75-year-old President Keïta.
“Until a thorough assessment is complete, there will be no further training or support to the Malian armed forces,” said Lt. Col. Anton T. Semelroth, a Department of Defense spokesman.
