Germany extends military missions in Africa for another year
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet has approved extending Germany’s military missions in Africa for another year. They include German troops taking part in a European Union training mission in Mali – known as EUTM – and the United Nations 'Minusma' peacekeeping force there, dpa reported on Wednesday. The government also plans to extend Germany’s commitment to the EU’s anti-piracy mission Atalanta, which operates off the Horn of Africa, but is reducing its maximum troop numbers from 600 to 400. Germany currently has some 180 troops involved in the EUTM mission, AP said. A further 900 are in Mali and Niger as part of the Minusma force. Those troop commitments are to remain unchanged.