Berlin (dpa) – Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, has given the green light for German soldiers to take part in the EU’s new partnership mission in Niger (EUMPM Niger). This will allow the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, to send up to 60 men and women to contribute in the West African country to the further build-up of the Nigerien armed forces, which are fighting against Islamist terrorists and armed gangs.
With its new mission, the EU is stepping up its engagement in the country. EUMPM Niger has been tasked with helping to enhance the military capacity of the Nigerien armed forces. Any participation in combat operations is explicitly ruled out. The Bundeswehr is to withdraw from neighbouring Mali by May of next year, on the other hand. Militant Islamist rebels have been spreading across the region since 2012, having started out from northern Mali. The border area between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso is considered to be a very dangerous region.