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The military governments of Mali and Niger said in unison on Tuesday that they were rejecting their agreements of double taxation with France, thereby deepening their deteriorating relations and severing their links with the French capital. The administrations of the two Sahelian nations said in the statement that France's ongoing hostility toward their States and the uneven character of agreements had cost Mali and Niger a significant amount of money. The leaders of the two West African nations are former military officers who took over in coups. They have been taking action to break away from France, the former colonial power that was once a close ally in matters of security and other fields. The French soldiers who were stationed in Niger and Mali were expelled along with France from their countries. These soldiers were in the area to support the fight against the extremists. Nevertheless, following the coups, tensions increased since the newly elected leaders thought France had been holding them and her other former colonies as slaves for a very long period. There are even others who think that France is encouraging terrorism in its former colonies to keep those people coming to them for assistance so that France can take advantage of them. So, rejecting the agreement of double taxation with France is another serious blow to the French. However, the practical implications of these denunciations are not immediately clear. FOOTAGE licensed through Storyblocks
