Germany declared that it has immediately suspended its involvement in the Mali MINUSMA United Nations mission in a dispute with the Malian Government.
Christine Lambrecht, the German Defence Minister, criticised the Malian Government in a tweet this morning after the African state refused access to its airspace.
Germany along with other States, including Ireland, have deployed troops as part of a mission to counter Jihadist groups in the war ravaged West African country.
In the country's north, a detachment of the Irish Army Ranger Wing (ARW) conducts special operations surveillance missions while integrated into the German Bundeswehr.
The ARW are slated to finish their participation with MINUSMA in September and return home.
It is believed that Germany was considering increasing its engagement, but that now seems to be in question.
Since a military Junta assumed power, Mali's political and security situation has been worse. The possibility that Russian Wagner Group mercenaries are also present and working with the Malian government there has raised concerns.
Colonel Sadio Camara, the Malian defence minister, received harsh criticism from Lambrecht in a tweet.
"Once more, the Mali government has denied access to its airspace to the UN MINUSMA force. There cannot be a planned change in the personnel. Given that the safety of our soldiers comes first, this has an impact on how we engage.
"Camara's behaviour is not consistent with what he says. As a result, we must take action and will suspend until further notice the operations of our reconnaissance units and CH-53 (military heavy lift helicopter) transport flights.
The European Union Training Mission (EUTM) was reduced in size by the Irish government in July. Participation in EUTM is being examined.
However, Minister Simon Coveney, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defence, had earlier stated in the Dáil that Ireland was monitoring the deteriorating situation in the country. Irish troops were training local forces.
It is claimed that Irish soldiers are currently training local police recruits, but that activity has drastically decreased during the past few months.
The Departments of Defense and Foreign Affairs have been asked for statements in order to assess the effect on Irish activities in Mali.
Following Mali's bloody Tuareg uprising in 2012, the UN mission MINUSMA (Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali) was launched in April 2013.
Mali's administration is battling to put an end to the bloodshed that started in the north of the country and was prompted by radical Islamist and Tuareg groups, despite military assistance from France and the UN.
When the Malian Army was no longer adequately prepared to combat militants at the moment, army factions conducted a military coup in March 2012.
Before the creation of MINUSMA and the deployment of UN forces in July 2013, a settlement between several parties was eventually mediated in Burkina Faso.
But violence subsequently spread to central Mali, after a predominantly Fulani jihadist group led by preacher Amadou Koufa emerged in 2015.
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