At the end of the visit of the German Minister of Defense to Mal
After announcing the withdrawal of its troops from Mali next year, Germany confirmed on Friday, through the voice of its Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, the maintenance of its military advisers in the country, and the strengthening cooperation in the field of military training with Bamako.
Boris Pistorius was received in audience at the Koulouba Palace by Colonel Assimi Goïta, president of the transition.
The German Minister was accompanied by his colleague for Cooperation, Economy and Development, Svenja Schulze.
This visit, according to the German delegation, aimed to discuss with the Malian authorities the future of cooperation between Mali and Germany.
“We have always accompanied Mali in its fight against terrorism. We did this with the participation of our armed forces within the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (Minusma),” declared Boris Pistorius, before reiterating the withdrawal of the German armed forces from this UN mission. , next year.
Boris Pistorius explained that “the German mission can no longer be accomplished as planned. The cooperation between Mali and Germany will therefore continue under other aspects, such as military training and the maintenance of German military advisers in Mali”, also underlining the desire of the two countries to deepen their bilateral civilian cooperation.
In addition to military security in Mali, this cooperation will also aim to improve the living conditions of the Malian population, concludes the German Defense Minister.
Germany had decided in November 2022 to withdraw its approximately 1,400 soldiers from the UN mission in Mali. Pistorius, announced on Wednesday, during his first visit to Niger, the maintenance of Germany’s presence in the Sahel from Niger after the announced withdrawal of its troops from Mali.
“Our future military engagement in the Sahel will focus on Niger,” Pistorius said in a statement ahead of his trip to Niger and Mali from Wednesday to Friday. And the German official added: “Security in the Sahel region is in Germany’s particular interest. Although we are ending our military engagement with Minusma, we remain engaged in the region
