Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht is on a difficult Africa mission. Does the Bundeswehr’s engagement in Mali still have a future?
After a visit to German soldiers in Mali, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht once again questioned the further involvement of the Bundeswehr in the West African crisis-ridden state.
The values of Mali’s transitional military government did not match those of Germany, the SPD politician said after she arrived in Mali the day before to see the operational situation for herself. Since a coup last May, the crisis-ridden state has been led by a junta that maintains close ties with Russia.
By participating in the EU training mission EUTM, Germany trains Malian soldiers, who then go into action with Russian forces and possibly mercenaries and possibly commit crimes or human rights violations, Lambrecht said after a visit to the capital Bamako and the northern city of Gao Location of the UN mission Minusma, in which the Bundeswehr is also involved. “Then that contradicts our values. And then I see no future for this mandate either,” said the minister.
Clarification of military operation required
Lambrecht called for an independent investigation into a Malian military operation in the central town of Moura in late March in which Malian soldiers, possibly in collaboration with Russian forces, executed an estimated 300 civilians, some of them suspected Islamist militants, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). must. A transparent, complete investigation of the crime is the basis for further cooperation with Germany, the European Union and the United Nations, according to Lambrecht.
In the case of the UN mission Minusma, Germany must weigh up whether and how France’s capabilities can be replaced after its planned troop withdrawal from Mali, so that the security of German soldiers is guaranteed. The main focus is on skills such as medical supplies, the use of attack helicopters and securing the airfield in Gao, said Lambrecht. They are working “at high pressure on a solution”.
At the end of May, the Bundestag intends to decide on the extension of the mandates in Mali.
Source: Stern
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