With the deterioration of relations between the military junta in power in Bamako and its Western partners, even Germany, which is often more balanced in relations between Europe and Africa, ended up throwing in the towel. By deciding to suspend its operations in Mali under the UN mission called MINUSMA. Explanation.
Germany, which historically had been stripped of its former colonies after its defeat in World War II, is renowned for having constructive politics and diplomacy by Africans themselves in general. This is what makes it one of the most appreciated partners among Westerners. And when Germany decides to suspend "until further notice" almost all of its military operations in Mali under the auspices of the UN mission called United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali. (MINUSMA), there are many questions about what is happening in Mali with the Malian authorities.
According to a spokesperson for the German Ministry of Defense, Malian authorities have refused the flights as planned: "The Malian government has once again refused to authorize a flight scheduled for today" which was to ensure a rotation of personnel, he he declares. And to continue: “…we are suspending until further notice our reconnaissance operations and helicopter transport flights”. The reason given is simple: “it is no longer possible to support MINUSMA operationally”.
Indeed, with the withdrawal of the French Forces, the security mission was no longer ensured, thus preventing the forces on the ground from being able to accomplish their usual missions. However, this refusal to fly over, according to German sources, did indeed occur even though the authorities in Berlin had assurances to the contrary from the Malian Minister of Defense, Sadio Camara, following a telephone conversation with Christine Lambrecht, Federal Minister of Defense of Germany. Which denounced on Twitter: "Camara's actions speak a different language than his words".
It is clear that Germany has decided to suspend its military cooperation at a time when the military junta in power in Mali has not only pushed France to leave its country but also accuses it before the UN of having " collected intelligence for the benefit of terrorist groups” in order to “drop arms and ammunition on them”. Very serious accusations – both for the accused and for the accusers – but which remain to be verified and proven. Immediately, General Bruno Baratz, Commander of the Barkhane Force declared: "For us, French soldiers, who have always been transparent about the Malian authorities, we find that it is insulting to the memory of our 59 comrades who fell in fighting for Mali, and also for the memory of the Malians who fought alongside us, but also of the personnel of the Minusma, of the African forces of the Minusma who fell fighting against terrorism.
It's a little insulting on their part, because indeed, we did everything to fight until the end. Even at the time of the disengagement, there had been a clash between the personnel of the 13th DBLE and a group of the EIGS, causing two deaths in the ranks of the EIGS. It is amazing to accuse us today of siding and supporting terrorism. »
Subsequently, France, through its Embassy in Bamako, for its part reminded the ruling junta of this: “France intervened in Mali between 2013 and 2022 at the request of the Malian authorities”. During this period, "France liberated many Malian cities which had fallen into the hands of terrorists, who imposed their reign of terror - ban on education, murders, corporal punishment -, in particular in Timbuktu and Gao", recalls the embassy.
"In 9 years, continues French diplomacy, Paris has neutralized several hundred terrorists in Mali and put out of harm's way two historical figures of terrorism in the region": the leader of the Islamic State group, Adnan Abou Walid al-Sahraoui , and the leader of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Abdelmalek Droukdel.
“In all the press releases of the terrorist groups, supports the embassy, France was until his departure designated as their number 1 enemy.
"53 French soldiers (...) whose mission was, above all, to fight against terrorist groups" died in Mali, insists the @FranceauMali account on Twitter, adding that "in recent years, France has been bruised on its own territory by several terrorist attacks".
minister of Defense of Mali
For reasons that are specific to the military junta in power in Bamako, she has decided to call on the paramilitaries of the Russian private security group Wagner, and to break with France, her former colonial power which she accuses of all evils of Mali. By privileging its relations with Moscow. But her latest accusations of the Bamako military junta could well turn out to be a boomerang and backfire, by dint of wanting to pull too much on the accelerator of populism or anti-Western sentiment. The French Force Barkhane has already withdrawn from Mali to reposition itself in Niger Republic.
Invoking the abuses charged to these paramilitaries and the difficult and even impossible coexistence with a regular Army of a country and mercenaries who do not represent the Army of Russia, Germany put an end last April to its participation in the European Union Training Mission in Mali (EUTM).
Germany's long neutrality has meant that the country has almost often remained on the sidelines of the major geostrategic and military issues of recent decades. This is why a good section of public opinion did not see favorably the deployment of some 1,350 soldiers in Mali, devoted to the various training missions of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa), EUTM Mali and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). Germany does not rule out supporting MINUSMA if optimal conditions are once again guaranteed. In the meantime, the German Army or Bundeswehr is continuing its presence in the Sahel through the “Gazelle” mission, relating to the training of Niger Republic's Special Forces.
By Daniel Yaoni
