Thousands of anti-French protesters took to the streets of Mali’s capital on Friday waving Russian flags and burning cardboard cut-outs of French President Emmanuel Macron in celebration of the expulsion of France’s envoy in Bamako. (https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-02-04/thousands-take-to-the-streets-of-bamako-in-anti-french-protest) Mali expelled the French ambassador last week over what the country’s transitional government described as “hostile and outrageous” comments by the former colonial power. Relations between Mali and its former coloniser have turned acrimonious after the junta, which seized power in August 2020, reneged on a promise to organise elections in February and proposed holding power until 2025. The failure to hold elections has led to punishing economic and financial sanctions backed by France and other European Union (EU) countries.