By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Germany has said it may be left with the option of withdrawing its troops from Mali if measures are not taken by the country to secure the peacekeepers.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock who gave this hint on Monday, said the continous stay of its army in Mali is predicated on the provision of their security needs.
“We are aware of our responsibility, so we will not simply pull out in the face of the first difficulties,” she said in Berlin.
“But we tell our Malian partners unequivocally what we expect with regard to the security of our soldiers. Should this not work out, it will be difficult to stay.”
Mali has been in political turmoil following the impact of twin twin military coups has contributed to the tense political environment in the West African country and its relationship with the regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the International community.
In May 2021, the regional bloc suspended Mali after an Army Colonel Assimi Goita seized control of the country’s interim civilian government established following an earlier coup led by him in Aug. 2020, which toppled then-president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
In November of last year, ECOWAS imposed sanctions against Malian transitional leaders after they informed the regional organisation of their inability to meet the transition deadline of Feb. 2022. The second coup had disrupted the timeline to return Mali to civilian administration after presidential and legislative elections.
