In January, France invaded Mali, and by April Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announced that the occupation would continue “permanently.” The frenzied pace of French policy changes continues, and now Fabius insists France doesn’t want anything to do with Mali’s ongoing territorial disputes.
“It’s up to the Malians, and particularly President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita,” insisted Fabius. The quick case of buyer’s remorse on Mali isn’t changing the Hollande government’s interventionist ambitions.
No sooner had Fabius disavowed any responsibility for the mess they’d made in Mali than President Hollande announced a full-scale military intervention in the Central African Republic (CAR).
“I have decided to act immediately, in other words, this evening,” Hollande told reporters. France already has 600 troops in the CAR, and promises to double the number within a matter of hours.
