Germany currently has nine soldiers in Mali taking part in the UN-led Minusuma mission and 200 as part of the European Union Training Mission.

The German defense minister's announcement comes less than two weeks after the terrorist attacks in Paris killed 130 and less than one week after gunmen stormed a hotel in Mali's capital Bamako, killing at least 19.

The attacks in Paris have brought France to the forefront of the hunt to root out terrorist threats around the world. It already has thousands of troops in its former colony Mali, but the recent attack in Bamako has intensified fears that the African country is still unable to prevent terrorist groups from operating within its borders, particularly in its unstable north.

Von der Leyen said that the decision aimed to help relieve military pressure on France, as it is overstrained in its fight against the "Islamic State."

She added that Germany is planning to increase the number of soldiers training Kurdish peshmerga forces combating the Islamic State in Iraq to 150 from 100.

French forces intervened in northern Mali in 2013 to help overthrow Toureg and Islamist rebel groups who had established control over large swaths of territory there the year before.

International peacekeeping missions have since sought to maintain security in Mali.

The German parliament first decided to send soldiers to Mali as part of the European Union Training Mission in Februrary 2013, at the request of Mali's government under the authorization the United Nations Security Council. It extended its mandate earlier this year through May of 2016 and lifted its potential troop number to 350.

The decision to send the additional 650 soldiers must still be approved by the German parliament.

Mali's violent years Attack on the heart of the capital It remains unclear who exactly carried out Friday's attack on the Radisson Blu in Bamako, which houses a large number of diplomats and journalists from around the world. While dozens of hotel guests and staff were able to escape, some 170 were taken hostage.

Mali's violent years Islamists in the north One of many armed groups in Mali could be responsible for the hostage taking, among them the Islamist group Ansar Dine, the self-proclaimed "Defenders of the Faith," led by Iyad Ag Ghaly. They've been fighting for an Islamist state in Mali's northern region since 2012.

Mali's violent years Terrorism, destruction of culture In 2012, Ansar Dine quickly won control over large swathes of northern Mali and set up a regime of terror, hacking off the hands of alleged thieves and stoning alleged adulterers. Worldwide, the fighters drew attention by intentionally destroying precious cultural treasures, such as this 15th century mosque in Timbuktu.

Mali's violent years Bombs in Tripoli, aftershock in Mali The conflict in Mali was intensified by the war in Libya. Many weapons and numerous fighters made their way into northern Mali in 2011 as a result of the chaos and fighting after the fall of dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Mali's violent years Azawad or Sharia state? After a period of cooperation Islamist militants ousted the religiously moderate Tuareg rebels, such as the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), which is fighting for its own territory in that region.

Mali's violent years Operation Serval In January 2013, the potential for an Islamist invasion of the capital, Bamako, loomed. French President Francois Hollande ordered a military operation to combat the rebels. By the summer, the French were able to retake key cities with the cooperation of Malian and other West African troops as part of "Operation Serval."

Mali's violent years Stability with the help of MINUSMA Some 10,000 UN soldiers are supposed to ensure the fragile peace in Mali. Germany's army has sent 200 soldiers to the country's south, plus 50 soldiers to Bamako as part of a training mission for Mali's army. German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen visited the troops in February 2014.

Mali's violent years A little peace But rebels and bandits still haven't left the country in peace. Again and again, there have been reports of attacks and kidnappings. Hundreds of thousands of Malians have left their homes in recent years. These children are living in a refugee camp in Mentao, located in neighboring Burkina Faso. Author: Peter Hille / kms



jtm/kms (AFP, dpa, Reuters)