Germany will start withdrawing its troops stationed in Mali for participation in the UN peacekeeping mission next year. This was announced by the German government.

The German government decided to begin withdrawing troops in the summer of 2023 during a meeting between Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his foreign, defense and development ministers with a complete withdrawal by May 2024.

According to the chancellor's spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, the goal is to gradually leave in a structured way, taking into account Mali's elections scheduled for February 2024.

Britain also said last week that it would withdraw its troops from Mali six months earlier than planned, and France decided to withdraw earlier this year after nearly a decade in the country.

Germany's current mandate in Mali ends in May 2023.