Mali's military operation to be assessed by Wadephul
In the heart of West Africa, the security situation in Mali has become increasingly precarious for German military personnel. The German military's flight operations in the northern part of Mali are currently restricted due to escalating militant activity and attacks on airports, such as the 2024 destruction of Bamako's presidential jet by insurgents.
This volatile environment has been further complicated by political shifts in the region. Mali and its Sahel neighbours have distanced themselves from Western military cooperation, with Russia's Wagner Group taking the place of Western forces in some instances. This development poses challenges for Germany's prospects of maintaining a sustained military presence in the region.
Following Germany's withdrawal from Afghanistan, the German government is undertaking a review of its military and humanitarian engagements abroad, including Mali. The evolving security situation, rise of insurgencies, and regional political changes, including Mali’s and neighbouring states’ decreasing ties to Western powers, suggest Germany is reconsidering its military involvement carefully.
However, no explicit, current plans detailing the future of Germany’s military mission in Mali have been published. Two German military missions are currently active in Mali: the EU's EUTM mission and the UN's MINUSMA mission. Both missions' mandates were extended by the Bundestag in the spring, allowing up to 600 German soldiers to participate in the EUTM mission and up to 1,100 soldiers in the MINUSMA mission.
Johann Wadephul, the Union's deputy parliamentary group leader, has called for a review of the Mali mission, stating that it is the most dangerous one. He proposes that the mission's goals and resources should be reassessed, focusing on stabilization and anti-terror efforts. Wadephul also advises against having unrealistic expectations for nation-building in Mali.
The mandate for the EU's EUTM mission in Mali has been extended, and the German cap for this mission has recently been increased from 350 soldiers to 600. The goal of the German military missions in Mali, as stated by Wadephul, is primarily to stabilize threatened states and support anti-terror efforts.
As Germany reviews its overseas missions, the future of its military mission in Mali remains uncertain. The increasing danger, political changes, and the region's distancing from Western powers are factors that Germany is considering carefully. The government is undertaking a review and possible adjustment of its military and humanitarian engagements abroad, with Mali among the contexts under consideration.
- The war-and-conflicts in Mali and the political shifts in the region have made general news, with Mali and its Sahel neighbours distancing themselves from Western military cooperation, which has posed challenges for Germany's sustained military presence.
- The German government is reassessing its military and humanitarian engagements abroad, including Mali, due to the evolving security situation, rise of insurgencies, and regional political changes, with the future of Germany’s military mission in Mali remaining uncertain.
