German military resumes flights to Mali

The German military resumed flights to Mali on Thursday after flight clearances with local authorities. Berlin has deployed some 1,000 troops to Mali, most of them near the northern town of Gao to gather reconnaissance for the U.N. peacekeeping mission MINUSMA.

The United Nations Multidimenasional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, MINUSMA was established by Security Council resolution in 2013 to support foreign and local troops battling Islamist militants.



Recently, there have been repeated instances of tensions between the Malian authorities and the mission.

Berlin's participation in MINUSMA has been controversial for some time in Germany as the West African country deepens its Soviet-era ties with Russia. Fighters from the Wagner Group, a Kremlin-linked private military company, have been supporting the Malian army in its fight against Islamist insurgents since late last year.