BERLIN, 18 Sep. (DPA/EP) –
The German government has once again been forced to suspend the operations of its Armed Forces in Mali due to the lack of overflight permits, as detailed on Saturday by a spokesman for the German Army.
German operations in Mali have ceased to be carried out after the Malian government has suspended the landing and overflight permit for medical evacuations, a spokesman for the German Armed Forces Operations Command has detailed to the DPA agency. the Bundeswehr.
These overflight missions, however, are necessary for the rotation of German troops in the African country, which has led the German Executive to withdraw the mission in Mali.
Berlin suspended its military mission in Mali last month amid a similar dispute with Bamako over airspace as well, halting transport flights and reconnaissance operations, according to the agency.
The Bundeswehr finally obtained the necessary authorizations for the first half of September, but the permits were not extended when they expired on Friday, according to the Operations Command.
Tensions have risen between Mali’s military rulers and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA), a peacekeeping force established to bolster security following the 2012 Tuareg rebellion, one of the first stages of the current armed conflict in the country.
Mali, which has suffered three military coups since 2012, has been run since the army’s last takeover last year by a transitional military government believed to enjoy close ties to Russia.
The Bundeswehr participates in the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali. However, the European EUTM training mission has been largely discontinued. The plan is now to focus on operations in neighboring Niger, where German soldiers are already training local forces.
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