To Stay or To Go: Comrades in Arms or Colonizers in the Frontlines? Statement by Malian Interim President General Assimi Goita
Those who say that France hasn't
done anything or that France has to stay. I have been on the frontline with
them, I have eaten with them, I patrolled with them, and I listened to their
radio. "What I heard if you were there, you're going to shoot them. When we were on a field, the French put us in front, and in case of no danger, we would answer R.A.S. And in case they shot at us,
they said this is war, huh!" Many Malians fell in front of us and we
couldn't say anything. "All you had to do was revolt, and the next day
Bamako called you. That is, if 100 Malian soldiers died, a single Frenchman
would fall, or zero loss on the French side. I remember that famous day when we
were 5 kilometers from Kidal; we could already see the rebels coming back. We
told each other that Kidal is going down. In no less than 15 minutes, a
lieutenant colonel comes to inform us that we are forbidden to enter Kidal. I
and four of my comrades wanted to force and disobey France."
"As we were moving forward, they clearly said one more step and you would
each have a bullet in the head. On this day, I cried like a baby. And I call
our superiors in Bamako, their only response is "we must stay behind
France". The next day, we see these French refueling rebels in front
of us. I even looked at one of them in the eyes, and he smiled to laugh at
me. After refueling and donating eight
pick-up vehicles. The French told us they did it for peace between Azawad and
Mali. I revolted again; it is in this context that I saw myself delivered to
his rebels one day. When they had given up our position so that I and my
revolutionary colleagues would be arrested." Indeed, we were
arrested." And on the radio, I heard Bravo and the other gamma in the basket.
Mission accomplished.. That was the code with those French. We told each
other it's over for us. I've been thinking, and I learned it is a privilege to die
for one's country."
"In addition, I laughed. On a day like this, we announced that we will be released, but during our stay, we have done business with these people. The number of generals, French colonels who called a day, was priceless. When I return, I see I am being given training, degrees. As Mali has always been my priority, and everyone in the army knows that. I learned to protect my country, so I already know the north like my pocket. And I know who these French are, and they know who I am. "I am a highly trained commando. I am also an always-ready man. If you see we are not dropping bombs on these jihadists, it is because when they take a village hostage, they use women and children as shields. For the one who doesn't know war, how do you want us to drop bombs on a village? Y'all forget there are women & children. Do you forget that these women and children are innocent?"
In a war, one must be strategic and
cautious. I promise you, Mali will be free with my colleagues, we will liberate
Mali. We come from far, and we are not politicians. We are liberators, whoever
wants to understand. Whoever doesn't want him to go to the phenomenal front? We
have a very rich and huge land. We can make it perfect".