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The European Union decided on Monday “to stop” its training and training missions for the army and the national guard in Mali, but will remain in the Sahel and deploy in neighboring countries, announced the head of European diplomacy. Visiting the country, the German Foreign Minister will also decide by the end of the week on a potential withdrawal of German forces.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited Monday, April 11, the Mali in order to meet the head of the military junta, at a time when Berlin plans to withdraw its soldiers from the country.
This trip, scheduled until Saturday, will also take him to Niger neighbour, a key country in the redeployment of international military forces in Sahel.
“Talks are planned” with the head of the Malian junta, the colonel Assimi Goïtaand the head of diplomacy Abdoulaye Diop, the ministry said.
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“The Bamako government has lost the trust of the international community in recent months, in particular by delaying the democratic transition and intensifying military cooperation with Moscow,” said the minister in a written statement before her departure.
“In this context, we have to question our German commitment in the Sahel region,” she added.
In May, the deputies of the Bundestag must decide whether the Bundeswehr will continue its participation in international missions in Mali.
End of EU military training
The fate of EU training missions was decided on Monday, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borell, having announced that the training of the army and the national guard in Mali would stop. The EU will stay in the Sahel and deploy in neighboring countries.
Some 300 German soldiers take part in the European Union Training Mission in Mali (EUTM), and 1,100 soldiers in the United Nations mission in Mali, the Minusmawhich has a total of some 14,000 military and police personnel.
Several countries have undertaken to review their participation in Minusma. Westerners denounce in particular the presence of mercenaries from the Russian group Wagner, who came to Mali at the call of the junta.
In Mali, where violence by jihadist groups and militias has claimed thousands of lives since 2012the military seized power during two coups in August 2020 then in May 2021.
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The German Defense Minister visited the country this weekend. With Annalena Baerbock’s trip, these are the first major European representatives to visit Mali since the announcement of the withdrawal of the French anti-jihadist force Barkhane and the European Takuba system in February.
The head of diplomacy, whose country chairs the G7 this year, also wants to address the food security problems accentuated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in countries already affected by the climate crisis and violence.
“Millions of people are plunged into starvation […] The Sahel region is a sad example of this,” said the minister, calling for “reliable cooperation, a resolute fight against terror and violence and respect for the fundamental principles of the rule of law”.
With AFP