Berlin plans to station about 60 soldiers in Niger as part of an EU mission officially aimed at the African country’s support in the military field, as reported by the media on Wednesday.
The final decision about the European state’s participation in the operation will be clear after the parliament votes in April, according to expectations.
During the initial announcement of Germany’s plans to send soldiers to Niger back in December 2022, Christine Lambrecht, the country's defense minister at the time, said that Berlin's contribution to the EU mission will be "at least in the double digits".
The EU mission, officially known as the EU Military Partnership Mission in Niger (EUMPM Niger), is supposed to help the African nation enhance its military logistics and infrastructure and contribute to the country's military capacity to combat terrorism over a three-year period.
The mission, formally launched in February by the decision of the Council of the European Union, will see some 50-100 European troops being deployed to the country at its first stage, and up to 300 at later stages of the operation, according to reports.
The decision to establish the mission in Niger by the EU came amid France’s military pullout from several African states, including the Central African Republic, Mali and Burkina Faso.
Against this background, Niger became France's most important hub on the continent in terms of military collaboration, where Paris reportedly established "partnership headquarters".
As of now, up to 3,000 French troops remain in the Sahel region, including in Niger.