After Mali, what Commitment from Germany in the Sahel?
Germany, despite the reluctance of its public opinion, is committed to supporting security in the Sahel, notably through its participation in the European Union Training Mission in Mali (EUTM) and recently in Niger, and in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
The security situation in the central Sahel, despite a significant commitment by the international community, has been deteriorating sharply for a decade. The arrival of the Russian private military company Wagner in Mali led to the suspension of the training component of EUTM, and thus to the German withdrawal. On the other hand, following the announcement of the withdrawal of the French operation Barkhane, Berlin decided to extend its participation in MINUSMA by one year and to increase the number of personnel. This mission is currently Germany's largest security commitment since its pulling out from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021. The security commitment complements Berlin's role in the area, at a time when the French partner is reducing its size and in the context of increasingly fierce strategic competition south of the Sahara. Berlin intends to strengthen its cooperation with civil society and increase its official development assistance.
Alain Antil is the Director of the Sub-Saharan Africa Center at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri). He works on Mauritanian political issues and on security issues in the Sahel.
Paul Maurice is a Research Fellow at the Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) at the French Institute of International Relations - Ifri, where he specifically works on issues of foreign and security policy of Germany.
This publication is available in French: "Après le Mali, quel engagement de l’Allemagne au Sahel ?" (pdf)
Author(s)
Alain ANTIL
Researcher and Head of the Sub-Saharan Africa Center, Ifri
Paul MAURICE
Secretary General of the Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa), Ifri
Related centers and programs
Discover our other research centers and programs
The Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa)
The Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) was created in 1954 by an inter-governmental agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany and France, in order to raise awareness of Germany in France and analyze Franco-German relations, including in their European and international dimensions. In its conferences and seminars, which bring together experts, political leaders, senior decision-makers and representatives of civil society from both countries, Cerfa develops the Franco-German debate and stimulates political proposals. It regularly publishes studies through two collections: Cerfa notes and studies as well as Franco-German visions.
Cerfa maintains close relations with the network of German foundations and think tanks. In addition to its research and debate activities, Cerfa promotes the emergence of a new Franco-German generation through original cooperation programs. This is how in 2021-2022, Cerfa led a program on multilateralism with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Paris. This program is aimed at young professionals from both countries interested in the issues of multilateralism in the context of their activities. It covered a wide range of themes relating to multilateralism, such as international trade, health, human rights and migration, non-proliferation and disarmament. Previously, Cerfa had participated in the Franco-German future dialogue, co-led with the DGAP from 2007 to 2020, and supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation and the Daniel Vernet group (formerly the Franco-German Reflection Group) which was founded in 2014 upon the initiative of the Genshagen Foundation.
Find out more
Discover all our analyses
A Franco-German “Reset”? The Ambitions of the Franco-German Council of Ministers. Challenges of Joint Leadership in Europe
As a Catholic from the Rhineland, Friedrich Merz is heir to the CDU’s Franco-German policy, from Konrad Adenauer to Helmut Kohl and Wolfgang Schäuble. While Franco-German rhetoric and reflexes are deeply ingrained in him, their results must nevertheless be put into perspective.
Social Policies in Germany. Assessment of the “Traffic Light” Coalition and Prospects for the New Government
Notes du Cerfa, No. 188, Ifri, July 2025 — The defeat of the “traffic light” governing coalition in the snap parliamentary elections of February 2025 calls for an initial – necessarily selective – assessment of the social policies implemented during its term.
The “Huawei Saga” in Europe Revisited: German Lessons for the Rollout of 6G
While the European Union attempted to coordinate a collective response through its 5G Toolbox in Europe’s 5G infrastructure, member states diverged significantly in balancing political, economic, and technological considerations. Germany, despite its economic ties to China and status as Europe’s largest telecom market, only reached a tentative agreement in July 2024—one that appears largely symbolic.
France, the U.S. Oldest and Most Complicated Ally: A Stubborn Defender of a Truly European Industrial and Defence Policy
France, the U.S.’ oldest ally, is also the EU country which most stubbornly defends genuinely European industrial and defence policies. It calls for ‘strategic autonomy’ in all political domains, a position increasingly difficult to hold against a hardening international climate.