German military suspends Mali mission

Germany is suspending its military mission in Mali until further notice, the Defence Ministry said on Friday.

The Malian government has repeatedly denied the Bundeswehr over flight rights, which it needs to facilitate troop rotation, a spokesperson said in announcing the move.

Government spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit, said Germany was prepared in principle to participate in an international peacekeeping mission, but only if this was supported by the Malian government.

Defence Minister, Christine Lambrecht received assurances that over flight rights would be restored from her Malian counterpart, Sadio Camara as recently as Thursday.

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Mali, with its population of around 20 million, has experienced three military coups since 2012 and is considered extremely unstable.

Since the most recent coup in May 2021, the country has been led by a military transitional government that is said to maintain close relations with Russia.