Status: 05/20/2022 11:41 a.m
The Bundestag has extended the mandates for the Bundeswehr missions in Mali and Niger. Participation in the UN mission Minusma is being expanded, and the EUTM training mission is to concentrate on Niger.
The Bundestag has extended the participation of German soldiers in the UN stabilization mission Minusma in West African Mali by another year – until the end of May 2023. 541 MPs voted for the new mandate on Friday, 103 voted against, four abstained.
At the request of the federal government, the maximum number of soldiers deployed in Mali will be increased from 1,100 to 1,400. The reason for this is that the French military will be withdrawn from the mission. Germany will partly replace the French soldiers in the medical service and also help to protect the airfield in Gao.
There is a withdrawal clause
However, since several questions have not been clarified, there is a so-called withdrawal clause in the mandate. This reads: “If an adequate level of care and protection for German soldiers can no longer be guaranteed during the mandate period, measures must be taken to adjust the German contribution”. In addition, the clause would also be the basis for a complete withdrawal of the Bundeswehr from Mali.
For example, it is unclear whether the protection of the mission with attack helicopters is guaranteed. It is still unclear who will be responsible for securing the mission if France withdraws its troops as announced.
EUTM put on hold in Mali
The Bundestag also voted for another mandate: It provides for a focus of operations in neighboring Niger, where German commandos are already training local forces to fight terrorism and armed gangs. In contrast, the European training mission EUTM was largely put on hold as a result of the military coup in Mali.
The crisis in Mali
The crisis in Mali began in January 2012 with an uprising by the nomadic Tuareg. The rebellion sparked a military coup and weakened the state. Several Islamist groups took advantage of the power vacuum and conquered the north of the country in spring 2012. In January 2013, a French military intervention began. Mission Minusma and the European mission EUTM were added later.