Mali

Gauck’s visit in Mali: Between optimism and realism

Up to 650 soldiers, Germany will, in the next few months in Mali’s North. An attack on a UN Camp on the day of the course of state visit shows the need – but also the risks. Adrian Kriesch from Bamako.

Training Manager Mamadou Traoré welcomes Federal President Joachim Gauck (r.)

Joachim Gauck seems strained, as he from the helicopter in the heat of the provincial capital of Koulikoro, climbs. His tie, which the President shortly before or at the Meeting with the Malian President wore, the 76-Year-old stored. The security situation here is tense, every corner will be positioned heavily armed soldiers. But at least as a Colonel Mamadou Traoré in front of him builds up, salutes and welcomes, Gauck again, a Smile on his face. “It is a great honor for us that you and your Delegation to receive to be allowed”, says the head of the Malian training center in Koulikoro, and Gauck is surprised by the fluent English of Traoré.

The graduate teacher has long lived in Germany and makes no secret of the fact, how strongly the Malians on the training need. “The army in General needs support in all areas,” says Traoré, compared to the DW. “We have a lot of weaknesses discovered and now want to many steps to our fate really in the hands to take.”

More than 7000 trained Malian soldiers

In the training center of the European Union since 2013 more than 7000 Malian soldiers for their deployment in North of Mali made fit. 450 soldiers from 23 countries to train with the Maliern. Soon there will be over a Mission to be decided. “We Germans are here with a significant contingent represented,” says Gauck in the “Camp Gecko” in front of German soldiers.

Camp Gecko is the base for the German trainers in Koulikoro

“The Malian President has today, therefore, to me his great gratitude expressed – and this I am now on for this relatively new use of German military forces here in the country.”

Especially for the up to 650 extra soldiers had Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita previously Gauck thanked. The troops are in the framework of the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA until the summer at Gao in the hazardous North of the country used to be. MINUSMA is considered to be the most dangerous Mission of the United Nations. During the past two years, approximately 11,000 Peacekeeper in use, more than 60 of them were killed. On the day of Gauck’s visit came a UN base in the city of Kidal
under fire, and eight mortar shells struck. Five peacekeepers were killed, more than 30 people were injured. Allegedly stuck Islamists are behind the attack.

Violence despite truce negotiations

Mali is fighting in the Sahara desert for years against various groups of Islamists and rebels. Although called Mali’s President Keita truce negotiations between the government and a part of the rebels is a great success. But several Tuareg groups have the
Agreement not signed, not to mention the various terrorist groups. Al-Mourabitoun, and al-Qaeda in the Maghreb had in November last, even the capital are being targeted. In a
Attack on a luxury hotel in Bamako, they killed 20 people.

Training for the fight in Northern Mali

Mali’s army is alone by the Islamist Terror overwhelmed that, as experts agree. The North of the country is about three times as large as Germany, sparsely populated and there are hardly any public structures, not even a functioning infrastructure.
Drugs, weapons and human trafficking are one of the few income-earning opportunities in the Region. Gauck takes therefore the Malian politics in the duty: The Land itself had to be more to his pacification to do. Mali since 1960 one of the most important partners of German development cooperation. From circles of the President is to hear that ever since 1.27 billion Euro German Entwicklungshilfegelder have been invested.

“No representative of a starry-eyed optimism”

In the late afternoon ends up Gaucks helicopter back in Bamako, next to the Regierungsmaschine.

Germany sees as a “true friend” – Mali’s President Keita

The front is again the Malian President with his entire Cabinet – as was the case during the arrival and later in the presidential Palace. After nearly seven hours in the country flies Gauck to return to Germany. In Nigeria he had previously four days, this complex country and get to understand. In Mali, he was significantly shorter for safety reasons. “I’m here not there as representatives of a starry-eyed optimism,” says Gauck. The location was also tricky, he admits. And only a few here believe that this soon will change.