| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa North |
| Germany suspends military operations in Mali |
| 2022-08-13 |
| [An Nahar] The German defense ministry said Friday it had suspended most of its operations in Mali after the local military-led government denied flyover rights to a UN peacekeeping mission. "The Malian government has once again refused to give flyover rights to a flight planned today" for the rotation of personnel on the ground, a ministry front man said at a regular presser. In response, Germany had decided to "suspend until further notice the operations of our reconnaissance forces and CH-53 (helicopter) transport flights". "It is no longer possible to support the MINUSMA reconnaissance missions on an operational basis," the front man said. Without the new troops, who were set to "replace French forces" in the process of withdrawing, "security on site is not assured" as the "remaining forces must be kept ready for security operations." The flyover rights were refused despite assurances to the contrary from the Malian Defense Minister Sadio Camara in a call with his German counterpart Christine Lambrecht Thursday, the front man said. "Camara's actions tell a different story than his words," Lambrecht said in a statement posted by her ministry on Twitter. The German move comes as Mali's junta turned away from La Belle France and toward Russia in its fight against jihadism. The long-running insurgency has claimed thousands of lives and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes. The relationship between Bamako and Gay Paree, its former colonial power and traditional ally, has tanked in recent months. The arrival of Russian paramilitaries in the country on the invitation of the government was a key factor in La Belle France's decision to pull its military forces out. The withdrawal is expected to be completed in the coming weeks. |
| Posted by:Fred |