The Senegalese president, current chairman of the African Union (AU), urges Germany to maintain its commitment to the UN mission in Mali (Minusma). Berlin is wondering about its presence in Mali, after the announcement of the French withdrawal under pressure from the ruling junta in Bamako.
“We need European forces, Minusma and Germany in Mali. Mali cannot be abandoned, you will have to maintain your presence in the Sahel”said Macky Sall, speaking to his German counterpart Frank Walter Steinmeier. Germany currently has 1,500 soldiers in Mali: 328 in the European Union Training Mission (EUTM) and 1,170 in the United Nations Mission (Minusma).
Pushed out by “obstructions” of the ruling junta in Bamako, France and its European partners have formalized their military withdrawal from Mali after nine years of anti-jihadist struggle led by Paris, while affirming their desire to remain committed to the Sahelian countries and the Gulf of Guinea.
The announcement on February 17, 2022 by France and its European partners of the withdrawal of their soldiers engaged in the anti-jihadist fight, creates a new deal for Germany.
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said “skeptical” regarding the extension of participation in the EUTM, which trains Malian soldiers. She also raised the question of the German contribution to Minusma if the French forces are no longer there to provide support in emergency situations.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier indicated that he understood Senegal’s expectations, in particular that “Germany remains present in a form that contributes to the stability of the Sahel”. He recalled that the ultimate decision rests with Parliament. The Bundestag is due to decide in May 2022.
We learned on February 22, 2022 that Chad was going to reinforce its contingent in Mali, but that will probably not be enough to reassure the forces engaged in Minusma, which currently benefits from French air support in the event of an attack. Recall that the Minusma has lost 1,500 soldiers in nine years of conflict.
The German President also discussed in Dakar the construction of anti-Covid vaccine production units in Senegal and on February 21, 2022 laid the first stone of a new building housing the German cultural center Goethe Institut.