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Bundeswehr soldier in Mali wearing shoulder patch from the UN's MINUSMA mission

Photo: Michael Kappeler / dpa

For the last time, the Bundestag extended the deployment of the Bundeswehr in the West African country of Mali for another year. Against the votes of the entire opposition, the parliamentary majority has now decided to withdraw the up to 1400 German soldiers from the crisis state on May 31, 2024.

The Bundeswehr has been involved in the MINUSMA peacekeeping mission to stabilise the country for ten years, but has recently been severely hindered by Mali's military junta. For example, it refused flight permits for the Heron reconnaissance drone operated by the Germans on behalf of the UN.

Later withdrawal with a view to elections in Mali

For this reason, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group had demanded that the currently largest and most dangerous foreign mission of the German armed forces be ended by the end of the year at the latest. The traffic light coalition, on the other hand, justified the later withdrawal with the presidential elections in Mali scheduled for February 2024. In addition, a withdrawal must be orderly, reliable and coordinated with international partners, said Agnieszka Brugger, deputy leader of the Green parliamentary group.

However, the defense policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Florian Hahn (CSU), emphasized that the security and supply of the soldiers was no longer guaranteed, and that there could no longer be any question of fulfilling the mission. According to Hahn, the protection of the announced elections is also not a sufficient argument: "You all know very well that these elections will probably not take place."

Resistance to the extension of the mandate also came from the AfD and the Left Party, which – unlike the Union parties – had already rejected the use in recent years.

Continuation of the Kosovo mission also decided

The Bundestag has also decided to continue the deployment of the Bundeswehr in Kosovo. The mandate provides for up to 400 emergency personnel in order to be able to react flexibly to a possible resurgence of tensions between the Kosovar and Serb populations.

There are currently around 70 Bundeswehr soldiers on site, making it the Bundeswehr's oldest deployment abroad. Unlike other missions abroad, there is no time limit for the Kosovo mission.

Kosovo broke away from Serbia in a war in 1999 and declared its independence in 2008.

aeh/AFP/dpa