Germany will start to pull out its troops from Mali from the middle of next year after a decade-long mission, with the withdrawal to be completed by May 2024, according to German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht.
Berlin has deployed some 1,000 troops to Mali, most near the northern town of Gao where their main task is to gather reconnaissance for the U.N. peacekeeping mission MINUSMA.
The future of the German mission has been in doubt for a while due to recurring disputes with the ruling military junta in Bamako and the arrival of Russian forces in Gao, which added to Berlin’s unease over an increasing Russian military presence in Mali.
The decision followed talks between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock who were at odds on the issue.
