The tussle over Africa continues, as Germany refuses to withdraw its armed troops from the West African country of Mali because the Russian Wagner is stationed there.
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht made the announcement in a recent interview while criticizing the Malian government for Russia's involvement.
"We will not give in, we will not make it so easy for the Russians," Christine said, adding, "Moscow will not succeed in getting the West to withdraw quasi-automatically to where Russia does not want to see us by sending mercenaries."
Addressing the Malian government, Lambrecht said, "If you want the Bundeswehr in the country, you have to make sure the conditions are right."
"I will make it very clear to the Malian government that it also cannot be that elections are suspended for five years or that it cooperates with mercenaries who are guilty of serious human rights violations," she said of the junta's 5-year election proposals.
The German government has deployed about 1,200 troops to Mali to be part of the European Union Training Mission (EUTM) and the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission.
In addition to the German soldiers, former colonial ruler France is also present in Mali with thousands of troops. The massive presence of the West seems like a cold struggle for dominance over the territory of Mali and the Sahel.
The newfound interest in Russia and Wagner's deployment in African regions, particularly Mali and the Sahel, has met resistance from a coalition of Western allies and the European Union, which has imposed sanctions on the group.