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dpa
Bamako
Malian armed forces detained three German citizens over the weekend, describing them as “suspected terrorists.”
The men, described on Tuesday evening by the Malian army as European, were detained during an anti-terrorism operation. The German Foreign Ministry revealed on Wednesday that the three were German citizens.
They had been released and were “well,” the ministry said, without confirming whether they were civilians or business people. They were “not on any official German assignment” in Mali, a spokesperson said.
The arrests were made over the weekend in the central city of Diabaly, it said.
Several armed groups are active in Mali. Some have sworn allegiance to the terrorist groups Islamic State or al-Qaeda.
The country with its 21 million inhabitants has been ruled by a military junta for almost a year.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who is currently visiting West Africa, met the Malian transitional president and junta leader, Assimi Goïta, on Wednesday.
Germany has some 1,100 Bundeswehr soldiers deployed in Mali as part of the UN stabilization mission MINUSMA. In addition, some 300 more German soldiers are deployed in Mali as part of the EU training mission EUTM. The mandates run until the end of May.
Bamako
Malian armed forces detained three German citizens over the weekend, describing them as “suspected terrorists.”
The men, described on Tuesday evening by the Malian army as European, were detained during an anti-terrorism operation. The German Foreign Ministry revealed on Wednesday that the three were German citizens.
They had been released and were “well,” the ministry said, without confirming whether they were civilians or business people. They were “not on any official German assignment” in Mali, a spokesperson said.
The arrests were made over the weekend in the central city of Diabaly, it said.
Several armed groups are active in Mali. Some have sworn allegiance to the terrorist groups Islamic State or al-Qaeda.
The country with its 21 million inhabitants has been ruled by a military junta for almost a year.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who is currently visiting West Africa, met the Malian transitional president and junta leader, Assimi Goïta, on Wednesday.
Germany has some 1,100 Bundeswehr soldiers deployed in Mali as part of the UN stabilization mission MINUSMA. In addition, some 300 more German soldiers are deployed in Mali as part of the EU training mission EUTM. The mandates run until the end of May.
