German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday pressed the Malian transitional government to pave way for fair elections and cease working with Russian military contractors in order to fully reactivate the European Union’s training of the country’s armed forces, reported Africa News.
Baerbock’s statement came after she met with interim Malian President Assimi Goita in the capital Bamako. Goita came to power after two successive military coups in 2020 and 2021.
“It is clear to us that we urgently need … a clear commitment to democratization and, above all, elections,” the German diplomat said after the meeting.
President Goita has delayed elections in the country for five years that were originally scheduled for February this year.
Addressing the situation, Baerbock said France cannot continue cooperation with Mali if there is not a clear distancing to Russian forces. There are allegations that Malian troops in coordination with foreign fighters massacred hundreds of civilians late last month.
Currently, more than 1,300 German soldiers are deployed in Mali as part of two missions- 1,100 in the UN’s MINUSMA peacekeeping mission and about 320 in the EUTM mission that trains Malian forces.
The mandates for both missions are set to expire in late May if Germany’s parliament does not vote to renew them.
The recent withdrawal of French troops from Mali has put other EU countries under increasing pressure as the security situation in the region worsens due to the recent military coups and rampant attacks by terrorist groups.
Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop, described Mali’s security situation as complex and defended the country’s dependence on Russian and Chinese help as key to bringing security. Notably, both Moscow and Beijing have expanded their presence on the African continent in exchange for military and development aid.
He added that the German minister was unfairly comparing events in Mali and Ukraine.
Baerbock, however, assured Goita and Diop that the French government’s cooperation with the people of Mali, with the civilian population, will continue.
