Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: TH
Context: France and Mali have suspended the issuance of visas to each other’s citizens, escalating a dispute between the two countries.
Background: The conflict between France and Mali stems from Mali’s 2020 military junta takeover, ousting the elected president over security and political failures. France’s concerns about regional tensions increased Russian involvement, and security issues led to a phased withdrawal of its anti-jihadist force.
Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali is the eighth-largest country in Africa. The country is bordered on the north by Algeria, on the east by Niger, on the south by Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire, and on the west by Guinea and Senegal.
In the late 19th century, during the Scramble for Africa, France seized control of Mali, making it a part of French Sudan. French Sudan (then known as the Sudanese Republic) joined Senegal in 1959, achieving independence in 1960 as the Mali Federation.
