Image source: topwar.ru
Steffen Hebestreit, a spokesman for the German Chancellor, said that the government had proposed to parliament to extend Germany's participation in Operation MINUSMA in May 2023 for one year in order to ensure an organized exit from the African state of Mali. This decision takes into account, in particular, the planned elections in the African Republic, which are scheduled for February 2024. The decision was made after negotiations between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht and Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock. I would like to note that the opinions of the listed German politicians on this issue are divided. And no one from Berlin consulted with the Malian authorities at all, which once again underlines the occupying nature of the German military presence in Africa.
The German Defense Ministry lobbied for the withdrawal of its troops, the Foreign Ministry warned against a complete withdrawal from Mali, a state that in Europe is "accused" of deepening cooperation with Russia. The German Foreign Ministry insisted that the German troops remain. Last week, information appeared according to which the German authorities are considering making a decision on the withdrawal of troops from the country. And now it has become known that the decision has already been made.
The German Defense Minister assured that an orderly withdrawal of the contingent would be organized. The withdrawal date is scheduled for May 2024, which, as reported by Spiegel magazine, should be a compromise between the various centers, since it means that German troops will remain until the presidential elections in Mali in 2024.
Germany is the next EU country after France to announce its withdrawal from Mali. Berlin deployed about 1,400 troops to Mali in 2013, most of whom are located near the northern city of Gao, where their main task is to conduct reconnaissance for the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA. In mid-November, the United Kingdom and Ivory Coast also announced their withdrawal from the mission.
The Ivorian authorities have announced that they will withdraw their troops from the UN peacekeeping mission by August 2023. Relations between Côte d'Ivoire and Mali have deteriorated significantly in recent months, especially after the arrest of 49 Ivorian soldiers in Bamako last July. The official Bamako accuses them of being mercenaries, and Ivory Coast claims that they were supposed to participate in the protection of the German contingent of "blue Helmets".
In recent months, German troops have been facing increasing difficulties, and they have repeatedly had to suspend reconnaissance patrols after being denied permission to fly drones by the Malian military.
It was expected that German troops would partially fill the shortage of troops after the withdrawal of French troops. French troops have been in Mali for almost 10 years. They left after relations between Bamako and Paris escalated to the limit. Now it's the turn to go out for the German military contingent.
Meanwhile, the Malian authorities demand from the German authorities that they do not delay the withdrawal of their troops from the country.
