Maas against the withdrawal of the Bundeswehr from Mali

What will happen to the Bundeswehr mission in Mali after twelve German soldiers were injured in an attack there?

Foreign Minister Maas has a clear opinion.

Rome - Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas spoke out against the withdrawal of German soldiers from the West African country despite the attack on the Bundeswehr in Mali last Friday.

"We have to realize that the region threatens to become a hub of international terrorism," he said on the sidelines of a meeting of the international anti-IS coalition in Rome.

That is why it is necessary to continue to get involved there with other partners.

We are now talking about this within the European Union and above all with France.

A suicide bomber had attacked a patrol with a car bomb on Friday morning northeast of the city of Gao in the West African country.

13 UN soldiers were injured, twelve Germans and one Belgian.

Three Germans suffered serious injuries.

According to the UN, the soldiers had secured the convoy of a Malian battalion.

The injured Bundeswehr soldiers were flown back over the weekend and are being treated in clinics in Ulm and Koblenz.

In addition to the UN mission to stabilize the country, the Bundeswehr is also involved in a European Union training mission in Mali. dpa