Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Development Minister Svenja Schulze have reaffirmed Germany’s commitment in the Sahel region before the start of the withdrawal of the Bundeswehr from Mali. Security there is in Germany’s particular interest, said Pistorius on Wednesday in the Nigerian capital Niamey at the start of a trip lasting several days. The end of the Bundeswehr mission in Mali will be “gradual and orderly” by May 2024. “The focus of our future military engagement in the Sahel will be in Niger. We are coordinating closely and trustingly with our Nigerien partners,” said Pistorius.
The two ministers will visit both West African countries and speak to government officials, aid organizations and German soldiers. The occasion is the last extension of the Bundeswehr mandate for participation in the UN mission Minusma in Mali and the new mandate for German participation in the EU’s military partnership mission in Niger. There the cooperation will be expanded.
However, the federal government wants to withdraw more than 1,100 German peacekeepers from the UN mission Minusma from Mali. She is also drawing consequences from an ongoing dispute with the Malian military rulers. Since the most recent coup in May 2021, Mali has been led by a military transitional government that has sought cooperation with Russia in the fight against Islamists and has largely restricted Minusma’s scope for action.
The two German ministries pointed out on Wednesday that the Sahel region is one of the poorest, driest and most conflict-ridden regions in the world. According to the UN, the region is considered the “epicenter of global terrorism”. The region is experiencing one of the fastest growing refugee movements in the world. Internal displacement has increased tenfold since 2013. Ten million children are dependent on humanitarian aid.
Germany has spent around 2.5 billion euros on civil development aid in the Sahel region since 2013, primarily on agricultural projects and efforts to strengthen state structures.
Schulze: Germany will remain committed
The development minister assured that Germany would remain committed. “Many people in the Sahel region join extremist groups because they see no other perspective for themselves and need an income. This is where development policy can come in with the aim of removing the breeding ground for terrorism,” explained Schulze. “Staying power” is necessary.
The two ministers landed at Niamey Airport, where the Bundeswehr maintains a central airlift base. This is the hub for operations in which German soldiers are involved together with UN partners or under the direction of the EU.
