For the time being, the European Union is ending its military training mission in the West African crisis-ridden state of Mali. This also applies to the German Bundeswehr.
This was announced by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell (74) on Monday after a meeting of foreign ministers in Luxembourg. Most recently, around 300 German soldiers trained Malian army members and police officers to fight militias and terrorist groups.
In the future, Malian soldiers are only to be trained by the EU in legal issues.
Borrell said that there were “insufficient guarantees” that Putin’s Mercenary group Wagner not intervene in the conflict. However, the EU wants to continue to get involved in Mali’s neighboring countries in the Sahel.
► According to BILD information, Germany has campaigned strongly within the EU for the training mission in Mali to be suspended for the time being.
Reason: The anti-democratic development on the part of the Malian government.
The Bundeswehr soldiers involved in the mission should leave the country in the near future.
The Bundeswehr is also supporting the UN peacekeeping mission Minusma in Mali with around a thousand Bundeswehr soldiers, which aims to stabilize the country and protect the civilian population.
The Bundeswehr will remain active in Mali for the time being.
However: Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (56, SPD) reports doubts about the stabilization mission of the United Nations.
Lambrecht said there was a lot of clarification needed after the announced withdrawal of French troops from Mali.
According to Lambrecht, it must be prevented that the Bundeswehr soldiers involved in the mission are “disproportionately endangered”.
► The current Bundeswehr mandate for the Minusma mission is valid until May 31 of this year.
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (41, Greens) is expected in Mali on Tuesday night.