BERLIN, 13 August 2022, (TON): The German defense ministry said “it had suspended most of its operations in Mali after the local military-led government denied flyover rights to a UN peacekeeping mission.”

A ministry spokesman said “the Malian government has once again refused to give flyover rights to a flight planned for the rotation of personnel on the ground.”

In response, Germany had decided to “suspend until further notice the operations of our reconnaissance forces and CH-53 (helicopter) transport flights.”

The spokesman said “it is no longer possible to support the MINUSMA reconnaissance missions on an operational basis.”