Last German Troops Withdrawn From Mali as UN Mission in Country Ends Its Operations
© AP Photo / Misper Apawu
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - On June 30, the UN Security Council unanimously voted to terminate the Mali mission and complete withdrawal by end-2023. The decision responded to Mali's government request, citing the mission's 10-year failure to address the country's security situation.
The German armed forces said Tuesday that the last of their troops deployed to UN mission in Mali, MINUSMA, left the western African country after its authorities' demanded an end to foreign military presence.
"At 15:00 CET today, the remaining 142 soldiers of the Bundeswehr left Camp Castor in Mali’s Gao. They are now on the way to the Senegalese capital of Dakar. There they will prepare for their transfer to Germany," the press statement read.
The UN mission in Mali, MINUSMA, declared on Monday the official end of its 10-year deployment. The pullout was requested by the Malian military government, which accused the mission of being ineffective in tackling jihadists who overran the country’s north in 2012.
The Bundeswehr said four military personnel would stay behind at MINUSMA headquarters in the Malian capital of Bamako until Sunday. The German military mission in Mali was initially due to end in late May of 2024.
The development comes as the Sahelian nations of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have ceased military cooperation with its former colonial master, France, and demanded the withdrawal of its troops amid anti-French protests in the countries.
