(Ecofin Agency) – While NATO’s new basic military doctrine qualifies terrorism and migration as « menaces hydrides »and designates the southern flank as a new source of risk for stability, Madrid does not exclude an intervention by the Alliance in Mali.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares (pictured) said on Thursday June 30 that he did not rule out an intervention by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Mali ” if necessary “, after the inclusion in the new strategic concept of the alliance of terrorism and migration as « menaces hydrides », that hostile powers could use to undermine its stability.
Asked about a possible NATO intervention in Mali on the sidelines of the alliance summit in Madrid, the head of Spanish diplomacy replied to the local radio station RNE: “No, we don’t rule it out.”
“If it was necessary and if it posed a threat to our security, we would do it,” he added.
This statement comes after NATO quoted, in its new “strategic concept”, the Sahel zone and the entire southern flank both as “region of strategic interest” et “potential source of threat”, due to the prevailing security instability.
NATO’s new strategic concept, which represents the alliance’s basic military doctrine for the next decade, also mentions terrorism and migration as « menaces hydrides » only “hostile powers could use instruments to harm stability” member countries of the Alliance.
Concerns over Russia’s influence in Africa
NATO member countries are concerned about an outbreak of violence in Mali where the ruling military junta is fighting, with the support of the Russian private military company Wagner according to Western powers, against an Islamist insurgency which is also carrying out attacks in neighboring countries.
The last session of the NATO Summit held in Madrid from 28 to 30 June focused on “threats and challenges in the Middle East, North Africa and the Sahel”.
A few hours before the opening of this summit, the head of Spanish diplomacy was alarmed by the “growing Russian presence in Africa, and more particularly in North Africa”.
For her part, the Spanish Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, called on May 25 for NATO to look into “increasing influence and activities” of Russia in Africa, believing that the instability resulting from this engagement could have a negative impact on Europe.
“The expansion of Russian state operations and Russian private security companies such as the Wagner Group into countries like Mali and Libya is very clear,” she said, adding that NATO “cannot remain indifferent to this situation which constitutes a worrying threat”.
Read also:
28/06/2022 – Spain is alarmed by the “growing presence” of Russia in North Africa
15/06/2022 – NATO calls Algeria a “security risk” for Europe (Confidential report)
09/06/2022 – Europe worries about the specter of a surge in migration from Africa
26/05/2022 – UK and Spain call on NATO “not to remain indifferent” to Russian influence in Africa
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