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”.