Germany shifts focus of military missions in West Africa

BERLIN (AP) — The German government has backed a change to two of the country’s military deployments in West Africa. The decision would move hundreds of soldiers from Mali to neighboring Niger and shift the German military’s emphasis in Mali from a European to a United Nations mission. France had a significantly larger military force in Mali. France announced in February that it was pulling its troops out of the EU mission there by the summer amid tensions with the country’s ruling military junta. Germany’s decision was also motivated by concerns that Malian forces receiving EU training could cooperate with Russian mercenaries operating in the country. The Cabinet’s decisions Wednesday still need to be approved by parliament.