The EU will halt military training missions in Mali but will keep a presence in the Sahel, foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday, citing concerns over "interference" and civilian killings committed by Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was headed to the country for talks this week with the ruling junta.
"We are halting the training missions for the [Malian] armed forces and national guard," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told a media conference, but added: "The Sahel remains a priority. We're not giving up on the Sahel, far from it. We want to commit even more to that region."