The Malian people's mobilization, backed by military forces, has ultimately set Mali on a course to eliminate any reliance on foreign powers, Dr. Bakary Traore, an expert in international relations and geopolitics at the Mission of Support for the Refoundation of the State, told Sputnik Africa.
According to him, these advancements were made by adhering to three key principles: national sovereignty, respect for the people's strategic decisions, and the protection of crucial interests.
In the military domain, "Mali has made sovereign choices without being accountable to anyone, cooperating with states according to its interests," which has allowed it to "build and rebuild a new army worthy of the name which operates in complete autonomy."
On the diplomatic front, "Mali goes to international bodies with its decisions and makes them known to anyone who wants to listen, but without being accountable to anyone."
The expert also noted that while the majority of projects are funded through the national budget, Mali remains receptive to international collaboration. However, the primary goal is to foster development by utilizing its own resources and revenues.
"This is the path to the future. This path has allowed Mali to forge strategic partnerships with two neighboring countries, namely Burkina Faso and Niger, to create what has been called the Confederation of Sahel States, which has just celebrated its first year of existence," concluded Traore.