The German government announced that it intends to withdraw its soldiers participating in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali by May 2024.
Government spokesman Steffen Heppistreit said - in a statement - that the German government decided today, Tuesday, to propose to the Bundestag (House of Representatives) to extend the mandate for the German Federal Defense Forces' intervention in Mali for the last time until next May, thus ending the mission's 10 years of service there.
He pointed out that the latest extension "takes into account, in particular, the elections in Mali, which are scheduled to take place next February."
The decision came after a meeting between the Chancellery and the Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs, in which Chancellor Olaf Schultz participated.
It comes while the future of the United Nations mission present in Mali since 2013 has become uncertain, as within a few months 6 countries have decided to stop or suspend the participation of their soldiers.
Gao base
German forces are an important contributor to the mission, numbering 1,400 men. The city of Gao, in eastern Mali, is the headquarters of the main German military base in the country.
A government source told AFP last week that the German withdrawal would take place at the end of 2023.
Reconnaissance flights for the German army have been suspended several times in recent months due to tensions with the Malian government, or because of administrative problems.
The Defense Ministry said last week that Mali had not granted its drones the required clearances since October 11.
The German forces aim in part to replace the French soldiers, after Paris withdrew its forces after the ruling military junta in Mali turned towards Russia.