BERLIN, June 17 (DPA/EP) –
The German Government has responded this Saturday to the military junta of Mali that the withdrawal of its peacekeepers in the African country will obey the calendar stipulated by the Army and not the one imposed by the Malian authorities, who this Friday have demanded the immediate departure of the Bundeswehr forces.
The Malian Foreign Minister, Abdoulaye Diop, denounced yesterday before the Security Council the “failure” of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA) in the country, where Germany is a participant, and called for the urgent departure of the troops.
MINUSMA was deployed in 2013 to support efforts to restore stability in Mali, which has endured an Islamic insurgency for years, and its mandate could in principle be renewed by the end of this month.
More than 12,000 soldiers are taking part in the multinational mission, including hundreds of German soldiers. In November, however, Berlin decided that the German military deployment would end in May 2024.
International forces have been at odds with a junta for months that has been strengthening ties with Russia since it came to power. Diop, in his appearance, asked the UN to carry out an exercise in “realism” and confirm “the failure of MINUSMA, whose mandate is no longer up to the task of facing the country’s security challenges.”
“MINUSMA appears to have become part of the problem by fueling intercommunal tensions exacerbated by extremely serious accusations that are extremely damaging to peace, reconciliation and national cohesion,” Diop added.
Speaking from Berlin, a Defense Ministry spokeswoman said the government would support UN-Mali negotiations on the future of MINUSMA, while noting that Germany had already announced it would leave the country next year.
“We are not surprised that the transitional government of Mali and Russia are using the forthcoming extension of the UN mandate for political advantage. Our interest remains an orderly withdrawal,” the spokeswoman said.
Since the mission began in 2013, around 170 peacekeepers have died in a country where jihadist groups have been operating for more than a decade in the north and center, amid a difficult political situation.
The Malian Army seized power from a transitional government in 2021 and initially pledged to hold elections in February 2022. Failing to do so, the military set a five-year deadline to hold a democratic vote. This Sunday, in fact, a referendum will be held on a new constitution that aims to pave the way for democratic elections in February 2024.
