The United States Civil Aviation Authority (FAA) has ruled that planes are at “increased risk” serving or flying over Mali “at all altitudes” due to the presence of a “sophisticated air defense system” used by the Wagner group, as revealed this week by the newspaper “Les Échos”. Bamako has never acknowledged having this type of weapon and Air France maintains its flights. But according to specialist Akram Kharief, “there is no credible information” in this sense.
It was a note from the American civil aviation (FAA) dated February 23, which gave the alert, revealed by the French newspaper Les Échos. It notes an “increased risk” of flying over Mali due to the presence near Bamako of Russian anti-aircraft missiles of the Pantsir or SA-22 type, capable of hitting planes up to 15,000 meters in altitude within a radius of 36 kilometers. According to this note, they would be in the hands of mercenaries from the Wagner group.
The American note also cites the portable anti-aircraft defense system of the MANPADS type – surface-to-air missiles deployed in the rest of the country and in particular in the Mopti region – to protect Malian airspace against any unwanted intrusion.