Scholz calls for terrorism combat in Mali after German troops withdraw
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German Chancellor Scholz and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius hold a ceremony to mark the end of Germany's armed forces in MINUSMA and EUTM as they call on the African Union for cooperation.
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German Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck walks behind German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during the weekly cabinet meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, April 10, 2024. (AP)
The fight against terrorism in the Sahel region, says German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, is necessary.
After German forces withdrew from Mali after the end of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA) and the European Union Training Mission (EUTM)'s work in the country, Scholz called for the necessity to combat terrorism in the region.
A ceremony was held by Scholz and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to mark the end of Germany's armed forces in MINUSMA and EUTM.
The German government's press office cited Scholz as saying, "The stabilization of Mali and the entire region in the face of the terrorist threats remains a crucial task," adding that despite increasing challenges, cooperation with the Sahel countries is a must.
He continued to direct his speech toward the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States as he called for further cooperation.
During the ceremony, Scholz and Pistorius praised German military personnel for partaking in the missions and proceeded by paying tribute to killed soldiers.
Back to where they came from
MINUSMA's troops withdrew from Mali by December 31, 2023, while German troop departure was completed on December 15.
Mali has been facing insurgencies since 2012 and has witnessed two military coups since 2020.
The MINUSMA mission, which had some 11,600 troops and 1,500 police officers in the country, began in 2013 after insurgencies broke out in northern Mali the previous year.
Colonels angry at the government's handling of the long-running insurgency seized power in August 2020 and then carried out another coup in May the following year.
Read more: UN mission in Mali completes decade-long deployment
Germany's military personnel, amounting up to 1,400 soldiers, had been in Mali since 2013, under the pretext of the MINUSMA mission.
Paris was in Mali for almost 10 years under the pretext of "fighting jihadist groups," and Germany's troops could not compensate for France's withdrawal.
In September, Berlin announced the suspension of its reconnaissance patrols in eastern Mali after failing to attain flyover rights. The permission is needed for flights between Gao, home to the German military's main base in Mali, and Niamey, the capital of neighboring Niger.
