Germany must work with African governments that do not match its values or risk leaving the door wide open to Russian influence on the continent, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Saturday.
“We are ready to help those countries that are interested in peace and stability, that want our support in building capacity with material and military know-how,” Pistorius told the Munich Security Conference.
Doing so was a “contribution to the protection of the rules-based international order,” the minister said.
“If we refuse to cooperate with some African states because they do not fully meet our standards, our values, then Russia will intervene,” he said.
“Usually not for the good of the country or the stability of the region.”
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There was little to be gained by refusing to cooperate because of such concerns, Pistorius said.
Germany last year said it would withdraw its troops from the UN mission in Mali, MINUSMA, in a 2023 withdrawal ordered by Mali’s military leaders.
Mali’s junta, which took power in 2023, has abandoned the country’s alliance with former colonial power France and sought rapprochement with Moscow.
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The government in Bamako has also moved closer to Niger and Burkina Faso — both now also run by military regimes with deepening ties to Russia after recent coups.
Differences over support for Ukraine and policy toward Israel and the war in Gaza have strained relations between African governments and capitals in Europe and North America.
Meanwhile, Russia tried to lure African countries with promises of grain and sent mercenaries to support governments in Mali, the Central African Republic and, allegedly, Burkina Faso.
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