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Transport helicopter of the Bundeswehr in Afghanistan (archive image)
Photo: Sabine Siebold / REUTERS
Federal Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) wants to send Bundeswehr helicopters back to the West African country to support German soldiers in the UN Minusma mission in Mali.
"The decision has been made in principle: First the army and later the air force should provide transport helicopters for Mali," said Kramp-Karrenbauer of "Welt am Sonntag".
The helicopters are particularly important for the rescue chain for soldiers wounded outside the field camp in Gao.
Since November 2020, this capability is no longer guaranteed by military transport helicopters, but by a private company.
The United Nations has recently failed to "find a partner nation that will provide helicopters," said Kramp-Karrenbauer.
Now the civil helicopters are to be replaced by military ones: "With the end of the Afghanistan mission, we will have the opportunity to send our own machines again."
Kramp-Karrenbauer makes demands for future engagement
Kramp-Karrenbauer admitted that the leader of the two military coups in August 2020 and May 2021, Assimi Goïta, was also trained in Germany. "That's right, he went to different training courses in France, the USA and also Germany," said the CDU politician. For the continuation of the German engagement in Mali, she set clear conditions: "Further coups must be excluded."
In addition, the transition process to a government legitimized by elections must be continued. “From my point of view, that is the decisive criterion. After that, the EU will decide whether we should continue with our training mission, «said Kramp-Karrenbauer. "And as long as the coup regime does not set a clear course for a transition, further planning to expand the training mission in the center of the country is ongoing."
Goïta was the leader of the putschists who overthrew President-elect Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in August 2020 after ongoing protests.
Since then, the colonel has been involved in the transitional government as vice-president.
In May he then deposed the civilian head of the transitional government.
Two weeks ago Goïta was sworn in as interim president.
He filled key positions in the new government with personalities from the military.
The procedure was condemned internationally.
France plans partial withdrawal of its armed forces
France has already taken action and temporarily suspended joint military operations with the Malian armed forces.
A little later, President Emmanuel Macron announced that the military operation in the Sahel zone would be ended in its current form.
Macron announced the closure of French military bases - but without giving a specific schedule for the French partial withdrawal.
Macron said he would now discuss the future military setup with partners in Africa, Europe and other countries.
oka / AFP