To support German soldiers in the UN Minusma mission in Mali, Federal Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) wants to send Bundeswehr helicopters back to the West African country.

"The decision has basically been made: First the army, later the air force, should provide transport helicopters for Mali," said Kramp-Karrenbauer of "Welt am Sonntag".

The helicopters are particularly important for the rescue chain for soldiers wounded outside the field camp in Gao.

Since November 2020, this capability is no longer guaranteed by military transport helicopters, but by a private company.

The United Nations recently failed to "find a partner nation that would provide helicopters," said Kramp-Karrenbauer.

Now the civil helicopters are to be replaced by military ones: "With the end of the Afghanistan mission, we will have the opportunity to send our own machines again."

Kramp-Karrenbauer admitted that the leader of the two military coups in August 2020 and May 2021, Assimi Goïta, was also trained in Germany. "That's right, he went to different training courses in France, the USA and Germany," said the CDU politician. For the continuation of the German engagement in Mali, she set clear conditions: "Further coups must be excluded."

In addition, the transition process to a government legitimized by elections must be continued. “From my point of view, that is the decisive criterion. After that, the EU will decide whether we should continue with our training mission, ”said Kramp-Karrenbauer. "And as long as the coup regime does not set a clear course for a transition, further planning to expand the training mission in the center of the country is ongoing." The EU has been training the Malian military since 2013 with the participation of the German armed forces.

Goïta was the leader of the putschists who overthrew President-elect Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in August 2020 after ongoing protests.

Since then, the colonel has been involved in the transitional government as vice-president.

In May he then deposed the civilian head of the transitional government.

The procedure was condemned internationally.

Two weeks ago Goïta was sworn in as interim president.

He filled key positions in the new government with personalities from the military.

Elections are to be held in the West African country by February next year.