For the first time, the Chancellor visits German soldiers in the northern Gao and thanks to them for their efforts. In the Libya question, it is promoting a united EU stance.
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) thanked the approximately 850 Bundeswehr soldiers in Gao in the north of the country for their efforts to stabilize the country threatened by Islamist terrorism. “The mission is difficult,” Merkel said at temperatures around 50 degrees during her first visit to Camp Castor. The operation is one of the most dangerous of the Bundeswehr worldwide. In Gao, the bulk of the 850-strong German contingent of the UN stabilization mission Minusma is stationed.

“That’s special,” Merkel said, looking at the working environment of German soldiers in Mali. “These are conditions that we do not know that way in Germany.” The mission demands considerable adaptability and considerable willingness to adapt from the soldiers. They made a significant contribution for the minuscule with their educational activities, Merkel said.

The German government wishes the Malian government to be able to improve the security situation in the country and implement the ceasefire. However, it would be difficult to achieve this only by military means if there was insufficient political support. The country is in urgent need of such international assistance.