Defense - Bundeswehr soldiers back in Germany after deployment in Mali
The last Bundeswehr soldiers involved in the UN mission in Mali, West Africa, have landed back in Germany. On Friday, the 304 soldiers flew from the Senegalese capital Dakar to Wunstorf near Hanover in two A400M military transporters and an A330MRTT. There, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) received them in the presence of family members to pay tribute to their achievements.
The UN peacekeeping mission Minusma in Mali was set up in spring 2013 to stabilize the country and help enforce a peace agreement between the government and rebels. However, Islamist terrorist groups, some of which are allied with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State terrorist group, are once again spreading in the Sahel region. A conflict between Mali and separatist Tuareg rebels is also threatening to break out again.
This summer, Mali's military government nevertheless demanded the withdrawal of all 12,000 UN soldiers after expanding its cooperation with Russia. The UN Security Council then initiated the end of Minusma. Germany had already decided to end its involvement. The withdrawal took months and was complicated by a military coup in neighboring Niger.
The conclusion of Minusma marks the end of the Bundeswehr's second major deployment outside Europe after its withdrawal from Afghanistan. The mission in Mali was recently regarded as its most dangerous deployment.
Bundeswehr on the Minusma mission
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- Boris Pistorius, the Defense Minister from Lower Saxony, expressed his appreciation for the brave efforts of the German soldiers deployed in Mali with the UN's peacekeeping mission Minusma.
- The federal armed forces had a significant role in the UN mission in Mali, working alongside other international forces to combat Islamist terrorist groups affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State.
- After the conclusion of the Minusma mission in Mali, discussions about Germany's future involvement in UN peacekeeping missions have emerged, with calls for strengthening cooperative efforts with the UN and other countries.
- The withdrawal of German troops from Mali, along with the 12,000 UN soldiers, was a complicated process that was further complicated by a military coup in Niger.
- In a press conference in Wunstorf near Hanover, Boris Pistorius thanked the Bundeswehr soldiers for their dedication and service in the face of daunting conflicts, praising their commitment to the defense and protection of Germany's interests abroad.
- In the aftermath of the withdrawal, some experts and politicians have raised concerns about Germany's long-term strategic presence in West Africa and the potential for future conflicts in the region to destabilize otherwise peaceful nations, such as Mali.
Source: www.stern.de
