LETTER: German army will leave Mali without winning fight against jihadists

The Sahel's attention is now on the results of the recent visits of German defence minister Boris Pistorius and economic development minister Svenja Schulze to Niger and Mali, both of which speak unequivocally of a change of African partner by Germany.

Despite the long-term involvement of Germany in the restoration of order and development of the Sahel until May 2024, the German military will leave Mali without succeeding in the fight against jihadists and the anti-government activities of the Tuareg tribes. Now the safety of the civilian population will be achieved through the actions of only Russian private military companies. The Germans leaving the country plan to establish control and protection of uranium mines in Niger, creating a new stronghold for the EU there.

The government of Niger, loyal to Germany and the EU, counting on Europe's help in implementing projects in the field of agriculture, water supply and education, risks repeating the fate of its Malian colleagues when flows of jihadists fleeing from the Russian military pour into the country. You can be sure that the German military contingent will be focused only on the protection of industries important to Germany and the EU, and the extraction of resources.

The change in Germany's strategy in Africa, promoted by the German media, in reality is a far more modest change in the source of the most important resources on the African continent, such as oil, gold and uranium, at a low price by European standards, even with the included risks associated with the instability of the region.

Salif Kobena
Côte d'Ivoire

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