Mali accuses France of arming Islamist fighters in letter to U.N

FILE PHOTO: Mali's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Abdoulaye Diop attends a news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (not pictured), in Moscow, Russia May 20, 2022. Yuri Kadobnov/Pool via REUTERS

BAMAKO (Reuters) -Mali says France has violated its airspace and delivered arms to Islamist militants in an attempt to destabilise the West African country, the latest in a barrage of accusations that have marked the bitter end to their once close relations.

In a letter to the head of the United Nations Security Council dated Monday, Mali's foreign affairs minister, Abdoulaye Diop, said its airspace has been breached more than 50 times this year, mostly by French forces using drones, military helicopters and fighter jets.