China watches as Mali coup threatens stability in strategic investment region
- Beijing has been looking to extend its Belt and Road Initiative in the Sahel area of West Africa, but upheaval in Mali may put the brakes on plans
- Analysts say region represents ‘an increasingly challenging engagement’ though post-conflict reconstruction projects could be lucrative
A worsening jihadist insurgency in Mali and neighbouring countries could put the brakes on China’s plans for a bigger presence in the Sahel region of West Africa, but it could also present infrastructure-building opportunities down the track, analysts say.
Beijing on Wednesday joined international condemnation – including from the United States, the African Union, European Union and France – of the military takeover that saw Keita, Prime Minister Boubou Cisse and government officials arrested by mutinying soldiers.
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Chinese peacekeeping troops conduct defence drill in Mali
Keita resigned on state television hours after his arrest.
It came after months of anti-government protests and amid a growing insurgency led by Islamist militants in the north of the country. More than 400 Chinese troops have been stationed in Mali for the last five years as part of a UN-mandated stabilisation force.
China’s foreign ministry said it opposed the attempted change of power in Mali through “force”, and supported regional organisations like the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) “in working for a peaceful settlement of the crisis in Mali”.
