German govt green-lights Afghan mission extension

In an expected move, the government in Berlin has agreed to extend its military mission in Afghanistan by 10 months, Deutsche Welle reported on Thursday.

The draft mandate has to be green-lighted by the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament. The present German mission expires at the end of March.

In line with the draft agreed by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet, German troops will remain in Afghanistan until January 31, 2022.

About 1,100 German troops are currently stationed in northern Afghanistan in framework of NATO’s Resolute Support mission.

A week ago, the NATO chief said it had made “no final decision” on the future of its mission. Jens Stoltenberg admitted the alliance was facing “many dilemmas” over its continued engagement in Afghanistan.