The EU is drastically reducing its training mission in Mali. Foreign Minister Baerbock criticized before her trip to the African crisis country.
Berlin/Munich/Bamako – Malian recruits who are being trained by European soldiers – in the future this will probably be a rarity. The European Union (EU) is drastically reducing its military training mission in the West African crisis state of Mali. “We are ending the training missions for the army and the national guard,” said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday after a foreign ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg. In the future, Malian soldiers will only be trained in legal issues, but no more military training. Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) is expected in the country on Tuesday night.
Before her visit to Mali, Baerbock questioned Germany’s involvement in the region and sharply criticized the junta. The Malian military government has “lost a lot of trust internationally in recent months, not least by delaying the democratic transition and by intensifying military cooperation with Moscow,” said Baerbock on Monday in Berlin.
“In my view, simply saying ‘keep it up’ would be wrong,” said Baerbock. “We have to question our German commitment in the Sahel region against this background.” After her visit to Mali, Baerbock wants to travel on to the neighboring country of Niger.
Russian mercenary group Wagner in Mali?
Around 300 German soldiers trained Malian army members to fight militias and terrorist groups as part of the EUTM mission. According to EU diplomats, the mission will be reduced to a minimum. According to Borrell, the funds recently approved for the government in Mali and the military have been frozen. In December, the EU states launched aid for Mali amounting to 24 million euros over 30 months.
There are “insufficient guarantees” that the Russian mercenary group Wagner will not intervene in the conflict, Borrell said in justification for the reduction in the training mission. However, the EU wants to continue to get involved in Mali’s neighboring countries in the Sahel.
According to a foreign ministry spokesman, Baerbock wants to get an idea of the political and security situation on site during her visit to Mali. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) was in the Sahel state at the weekend.
Mali: “Currently no progress at all on the road to democracy”
The foreign office spokesman pointed out the current difficulties in relation to Mali. So there is “currently no progress at all on the way to democracy”. In addition, the question arises as to “what additional difficulties arise from the increased cooperation with Russian mercenaries”.
Human rights groups suspect Wagner mercenaries of having committed a massacre of civilians in the village of Moura together with Malian soldiers two weeks ago. The human rights organization Human Rights Watch speaks of around 300 civilians who were killed.
In addition to the 300 German EUTM soldiers to date, the Bundeswehr is supporting the UN peacekeeping mission Minusma with around a thousand men, which aims to stabilize the country and protect the civilian population. The missions are currently the largest and most dangerous deployment of the German armed forces.
Mali: France has also decided to end its mission
The Bundestag must decide by the end of May whether to issue mandates to extend the Mali missions. According to the foreign office spokesman, an end to the EUTM mission does not necessarily mean an end to German participation in Minusma. Both missions would have to be “considered individually”.
In February, the former colonial power France decided to end its nine-year military operation in Mali. This was preceded by serious tensions with the Malian military government. (cg with AFP)
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