Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) described the continuation of the Bundeswehr's commitment in the West African crisis state of Mali as a "great challenge".

The announced withdrawal of French forces from Mali means a "special responsibility for Germany," she said on Tuesday after visiting German soldiers in the northern city of Gao.

Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) was there with the troops a few days ago.

Johannes Leithauser

Political correspondent in Berlin.

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Around 300 Bundeswehr soldiers are currently working on the EU training mission EUTM in Mali, and the German participation in the UN mission MINUSMA includes about three times as many.

The two separate mandates expire at the end of May, and the Bundeswehr is expected to significantly reduce its presence in the country in the coming months.

After the EU foreign policy representative Josep Borrell announced the end of the practical EU training mission for the Malian army, the German contingent at EUTM also lacks the basis for a further mission.

The Federal Foreign Office indicated that it considers the continuation of MINUSMA to be important, since the UN mission is helping to maintain security in northern Mali.

Wadephul: "This must alarm Germany"

The deputy head of the Union faction, Johann Wadephul, said on Tuesday that the EU's decision to stop EUTM almost completely had to "alarm Germany and its allies" - only the technical advice to the Malian armed forces in the fight against terrorist groups should be continued.

Wadephul demanded that Baerbock "prepare to restart relations with the military government in Mali".

At present, the relationship between the EU states and the Malian leadership is "undoubtedly broken".

After last year's coup, the military government did everything it could to alienate France and other Europeans.

However, Mali remains a "key strategic state" in the region.

The EU is facing a "trilemma," said Wadephul.

She must not let the country fall into the hands of terrorists, nor does she want to support a military junta, nor leave the field to the Russian mercenaries who are active in Mali.

Wadephul spoke out in favor of increasing the Bundeswehr's participation in MINUSMA and continuing the EU training mission in other countries in the region, for example in neighboring Niger.

Left-wing MP Ali Al-Dailami, on the other hand, said that the federal government was acting without ideas and without a plan in Mali.

Like EUTM, MINUSMA failed across the board.

The left is therefore demanding the complete withdrawal of the Bundeswehr from Mali and other countries in the Sahel zone.