Mali could become the "new Afghanistan"

French President Francois Hollande has officially announced that he is sending troops to Mali. French forces have been participating in special operations in the African country for the third day: during this time they managed to push back the enemy, destroy one of the Islamist leaders, but lost one soldier during the fighting.

Mali, like most African countries, has been unsettled for a long time. In March 2012, a military coup took place in the country. Officers under the leadership of Captain Sanogo overthrew President Toumani Toure, who, according to some sources, maintained close relations with the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda. But besides the military, there is another influential force in the country - the Islamists. In particular, the militant Tuareg tribes who fled neighboring Libya after the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime. In addition to the Tuaregs, former friends of the Libyan dictator, local Malian jihadists close to al-Qaeda were also dissatisfied.

The Islamists captured the northern part of the country and actually created an independent state there, living under strict Sharia law. Mali found itself divided into two parts: the northern, under the leadership of the Islamists, and the southern, controlled by the regular army. A civil war began in the country, which, according to standard African scenarios (as, for example, in Sudan), could last for decades. And everything would have been fine, but the president of the country turned for help to the West, and in particular to France, which has always considered Africa as a zone of its influence.

French public opinion overwhelmingly believes that it is necessary to maintain the country's authority in Africa. More recently, the Socialist president was criticized for his failure to respond to the internal conflict in the Central African Republic. In the case of Mali, Hollande decided to demonstrate the strength of the French position in Africa. "In recent days, terrorists have concentrated their forces on the line that artificially divides the north and south of Mali. They have even advanced. They are looking for opportunities to strike at the very existence of Mali," Hollande said .

The majority of major political figures in France spoke in favor of sending troops to Mali. "The opposition also supported Hollande. The president's two former rivals, Jean-François Copé and François Fillon, approved of his decision," writes the right-wing newspaper Le Figaro , which is usually critical of socialists in general and Hollande in particular. Right-wing leader Copé said that "the intervention of the French army is fully in accordance with international norms."

The support Hollande has received in France itself is no doubt important to him now, at a time when he is endlessly criticized for his social policies and high taxes that are forcing wealthy French people to flee the country . The socialist newspaper Libération , which usually represents the position of the president's party, writes that Hollande welcomes the "political consensus" that has developed in France on the issue of Mali, and is constantly broadcasting from the scene.

Perhaps the only person who has openly opposed Hollande's policies in Mali is Dominique de Villepin, the former prime minister of France under President Jacques Chirac. In an interview, he said that “not a single prerequisite for a successful operation was created in Mali.” “We are fighting blindly because we do not see the goal of this war,” the politician added. The head of the ultra-left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, spoke more delicately about this: “Sending troops to solve the problems in northern Mali is doubtful.”

Mali is a former French colony where many French people still live. On January 11, Francois Hollande officially announced France's participation in military operations in Mali. On the same day, the regular army of Mali launched a counteroffensive in the center of the country. The head of the French foreign policy department , Laurent Fabius, said that France was obliged to intervene in order to prevent the creation of a “terrorist state”.

Due to the threat of revenge from radical Islamists, increased security measures have been introduced in France - the so-called Vigipirate plan. "The war against terrorists requires taking all possible precautions here in France," said Francois Hollande .

France was supported by the rest of the EU countries. In addition, the press writes about possible US intervention in the conflict. Many analysts and Western journalists call the situation in Mali a “new Afghanistan.”