Germany to withdraw troops from Mali from summer 2023 - source

Germany's government has agreed to withdraw its troops from Mali starting in the summer of next year, a government source said on Tuesday. Earlier, Spiegel reported that the soldiers were to pull out by May 2024. In mid-November, Britain became the latest Western country to announce the withdrawal of its forces from Mali, saying it would pull out its 300 troops from MINUSMA.

Germany's government has agreed to withdraw its troops from Mali starting in the summer of next year, a government source said on Tuesday.

Earlier, Spiegel reported that the soldiers were to pull out by May 2024. Berlin has deployed some 1,000 troops to Mali, most near the northern town of Gao where their main task is to gather reconnaissance for the U.N. peacekeeping mission MINUSMA.

The future of the German mission has been doubt for a while due to recurring disputes with the ruling military junta in Bamako and the arrival of Russian forces in Gao, which added to Berlin's unease over an increasing Russian military presence in Mali. In mid-November, Britain became the latest Western country to announce the withdrawal of its forces from Mali, saying it would pull out its 300 troops from MINUSMA.