Is Germany turning its back on Mali?

Germany becomes the latest country to withdraw forces from the crisis-ridden Sahel nation following frustrations with the junta government. The German government is planning to start pulling back troops from Mali in summer 2023 and complete the withdrawal a year later, spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement on Tuesday. The West African nation has been fighting a jihadist insurgency for more than a decade. Over 1,000 German troops have been deployed in Mali near the northern town of Gao. They are tasked with gathering reconnaissance for the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA.