Germany’s armed forces are to remain stationed in Mali for another year, after lawmakers extended their participation in a UN mission on Wednesday.
Parliament approved the decision for 1,100 German troops to remain part of the UN’s Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) peacekeeping mission.
Islamist terrorist groups have been active in the West African country for years. In 2013, France, the former colonial power, repulsed an attack on the capital, Bamako.
In August, the country’s military seized power in a coup.German lawmakers are also due to extend another Bundeswehr deployment in Mali, in the EU’s European Union Training Mission (EUTM) programme.
- Power outages purely technical; problems resolved – Deputy Energy Minister
- EU could send training mission to Mozambique, top diplomat says
- Meet the Firewoman who saved Mankessim market
- Biden calls state efforts to restrict voting ‘sick’
Germany aims to increase its deployment to EUTM, raising the upper limit to 600, from 450 currently, from June 1 onwards.
Germany is set to take over leadership of the deployment from the beginning of July.
A military training facility in central Mali is to be opened in the second half of the year.
