Germany Resumes Patrol in Mali

Germany has resumed reconnaissance patrol in eastern Mali.

This is part of a UN peacekeeping mission known as United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, MINUSMA.

This comes after the military suspended the operations last month when the Malian government denied flyover rights.

The Military spokeswoman said that the “Reconnaissance operations outside the city of Gao has resumed.”

She said that a unit which recently arrived in Gao, “was now fully ready to work, and had taken over the task of securing the camp.” 

Report says Most German forces in Mali are based close to Gao.

Meanwhile, on August 12, the defence ministry said it had suspended reconnaissance and related operations after Mali’s ruling junta denied permission for flights to support personnel rotation under the UN’s MINUSMA mission.

However, the MINUSMA was launched in 2013 to help Mali cope with a bloody jihadi campaign.

The long-running insurgency has claimed thousands of lives and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.

AFRICANEWS/CO