The Future of Germany’s Political Strategy in Mali

Webinar as part of the German Forum on Security Policy with Antonia Witt, moderated by Sarah Brockmeier

A boy rides a bicycle in front of the Great Mosque of Djenné, designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1988 along with the old town of Djenné, in the central region of Mali.

The security situation in Mali, in particular for Malian civilians, continues to de­teriorate. In March 2022, more than 300 civilian men were allegedly summarily executed by Malian armed forces as well as asso­ciated foreign soldiers, including Russian merce­naries, in the town of Moura. The European Union has sub­sequently halted its training mission (EUTM) in the country.

In late May 2022, the German par­liament will decide on whether and how to continue the German contribu­tions to the UN mission in Mali (MINUSMA) as well as to EUTM. In addition to contribu­ting to the two missions, the German govern­ment has been engaged in Mali with a wide range of policy instruments in diplomacy and develop­ment cooperation. At the same time, the question of how effective German involve­ment in Mali is has been debated for years, not just since the 2020 coup and the recent massacres.

Successive German govern­ments have emphasized the need for German and EU policy instru­ments in Mali to be embedded in a larger political strategy. This webinar will focus precisely on this strategy. What is Berlin’s current political strategy in Mali? How is this strategy and Germany’s engage­ment seen in Mali? What are key political develop­ments in Mali that need to be addressed in German and European political strategy? What adjust­ment might Germany’s and the EU’s goals and instruments need? What, in short, would a more effective German policy in Mali look like?

As part of the German Forum on Security Policy by the Federal Academy on Security Policy, these questions will be debated with distin­guished guests in an online dis­cussion.

When? Tuesday, 17 May 2022, 12.30 pm – 1.45 pm

Where? Online (tbc)

Programme:

5 Min.  – Welcome

20 Min – Inputs: The Future of Germany's Strategy in Mali, moderated by Sarah Brockmeier, Berlin Office, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF)

  • Baba Dakono, Executive Secretary of the Observatoire citoyen sur la gouvernance et la sécurité
  • Ambassador Christoph Retzlaff, Special Envoy for the Sahel, German Federal Foreign Office
  • Dr. Antonia Witt, Senior Researcher, PRIF

40 Min – Questions & Answers

5 Min   – Wrap-Up

To register, please send an e-mail to waczek @hsfk .de with the subject heading “BAKS PRIF”.

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