Mali: Germany set to withdraw its troops by 2024, as Islamic State conquers key town

Germany is counting on nine to 12 months to withdraw its soldiers from Mali, just as jihadists affiliated to Islamic State group have made a significant advance to take Tidermene in the southeastern part of the country, further isolating the regional capital Menaka.

Germany’s withdrawal was imposed by the new realities of the West African country under the leadership of the military junta. However, the withdrawal does not put an end to development aid, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Development Minister Svenja Schulze said during their joint visit of the German contingent of the UN peacekeeping mission (MINUSMA) in Gao. Pistorius stressed the importance of the German contingent, especially for reconnaissance missions, but added that this commitment has “not been possible in practice for some months.”

Germany has also made a significant contribution of several hundred soldiers to the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MINUSTAH) that are deployed in the country plagued by the spread of jihadism and violence of all kinds.

The announcement of German withdrawal from Mali by May 2024 comes as the authorities reported Tidermene’s fall after months of fighting by Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) to seize the northeastern village of a few thousand inhabitants. Hence, all the region’s main administrative subdivisions are now under the control of the militant Islamist group that is now reportedly “distributing Korans to the population (and) moving around town with weapons,” according to one local elected official. He and others spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Experts believe the jihadists stepped into a vacuum left when French forces departed last year.