Foreign relations of Mali
U.S.-Malian relations are described by the U.S. Department of State as "excellent and expanding," especially given Mali's recent record of democratic stability in the volatile area of West Africa and its avowed support of the war on terrorism.
Working to control and resolve regional conflicts, such as in Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, is one of Mali's major foreign policy goals.
One of the most prominent examples of this is Mali's former membership the G5 Sahel with the fellow member states Burkina Faso (formerly), Chad, Mauritania, and Niger (formerly).
In a December 2018 coordination conference, $2.6 billion was pledged from foreign nations including the United States, European Union, Saudi Arabia, and China.
In addition to military-centered approaches, Mali and Niger have implemented Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration, or DDR, programs while Mauritania and Burkina Faso have not.
DDR is an approach that removes weapons, breaks up crime organizations, and reintegrates combatants into civilian life or state-sanctioned armed forces.
[5] The G5 Sahel has been weakening in the most recent years, with many forces from the European Union pulling their troops to concentrate their efforts on the ongoing Ukrainian conflict.
Despite some early successful peacekeeping initiatives by ECOWAS and the AU, their most recent joint policies are facing challenges of limited institutional capacity, low enforcement, and inexplicit language surrounding its implementation.
Recently, it promised to end the unconstitutional takeover of political power in member states,[11] but Mali has since developed new policies to distance themselves from the organization and limit its reach.
[167] This military intervention, named Operation Barkhane, had the main objectives of strengthening Mali's armed forces and counterrorism efforts which began in 2013.
[169] In 2022, Mali expelled the last 2,400 troops of the advanced French military services due to increased violence and worsening conditions following the 2021 coup.
France has historically lent significant funding to Mali, most notably starting in December 2018 during the G-5 Sahel's Joint Force's Priority Investment Program (PIP) conference.
[44] Both countries established diplomatic relations on 17 November 1972 when the first Libyan Ambassador to Mali, Muhammad Ahmad Mograhi, presented his credentials to President Mousa Traore.
[121] The UK established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 15 March 1961[34] Both countries established diplomatic relations on 24 September 1960[18] The bilateral agenda is dominated by efforts to increase broad-based growth, improve health and educational facilities, promote the sustainable use of natural resources, reduce the population growth rate, counter the spread of highly infectious diseases, encourage regional stability, build peacekeeping capabilities, institutionalize respect for human rights, and strengthen democratic institutions in offering good governance.
[183] The majority of Mali-US relations and support is centered around military efforts in the form of intelligence, equipment, and financial aid valuing over $588 million, which began in 2017.
Although this election timeframe has not been upheld, USAID is currently giving to the distinct initiatives of Agriculture and Economic Growth, Education, Health, Humanitarian Assistance, Multi-Sectoral Nutrition, and Peace, Democracy, and Governance (PDG) Programs.
