Spain and Germany admit reviewing their military presence in Mali

Some Malian soldiers, in Bamako after the coup in August 2020. STRINGER (Reuters)

Spain and Germany advocate reviewing the European military mission in Mali, of which both countries are the main contributors, given the "degradation" of the political and security conditions in this Sahelian country.

This was stated on Tuesday by the Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, and his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, who made her first official trip to Madrid.

In the coming days, French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to announce the departure of French troops from Mali, after the country's ruling military junta expelled its ambassador in Bamako.

The withdrawal of the French military will mean the evacuation of the two combat operations against jihadism led by France —Barkhane and Takuba, with some 5,000 troops in total— that Paris wants to relocate in neighboring countries, especially in Niger.

The problem arises with the EUTM-Mali mission, which instructs the Malian Army to confront the terrorists.

Albares stressed that, beyond what France decides, it is an EU mission so "any change, reduction or disappearance" must be agreed "at European level", in a debate in which Spain "will make its voice heard". voice".

The head of Spanish diplomacy believes that the reasons that led to launching the mission — jihadism, drug trafficking and human beings — “maintain to a large extent” so “what is desirable” is that the operation can continue.

But he admits that the conditions on the ground “are deteriorating” —the country has suffered two successive coups, in August 2020 and in May 2021— and in addition “actors that were not present, such as Russia, have appeared, changing the situation".

Referring to the military junta in Bamako (which promised to hold elections this month and has postponed them for five years), he stressed that "it is necessary to establish a clear and concrete democratic calendar."

For his part, Baerbock expressed his doubts about the possibility that the EUTM-Mali mission can be maintained and stressed that the EU must make a decision in view of the "profound changes" that have occurred.

The EU defense ministers, in a telematic meeting held last Friday, agreed to send a technical mission to Mali to assess the situation on the ground.

EUTM-Mali has 1,100 troops, of which 530 are Spanish and 325 German.

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