Newsletter 2013/02/04 – A Long Phase of Instability
BAMAKO/BERLIN (Own report) – With its establishment of a permanent
logistical air base in Dakar, Senegal, the German Bundeswehr is
expanding its role in the war in Mali. German Air Force Transall
planes, taking off from this base, will transport troops and material
for future combat in northern Mali. German government advisors are
predicting that Mali is entering “a long phase of instability.”
According to a new analysis published by the German Institute for
International and Security Affairs (SWP), the Islamist militias, who,
over the past few days, have retreated from Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal,
will probably continue the war with a kind of “guerilla tactic.” The
Islamist militias grew following the overthrow of the Gadhafi
government and the collapse of state structures in southern Libya. To
limit their maneuverability in the Sahara, the EU seeks to reinforce
the sealing of the borders in the North African desert regions. The EU
is therefore planning to establish missions in Libya and Niger. Berlin
is considering German participation. German enterprises have an
interest in the lucrative fortifications of border installations.
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