Scholz visits troops in Niger

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited soldiers stationed in Niger on Monday, the second day of his Africa trip, reported dpa.

German marine commandos are training Nigerien special forces at a military base in Tillia to fight Islamist militants in the region.

About 200 German soldiers are involved in the mission, which has been operational since 2018 and is part of the EU training mission EUTM.

On Friday, the German lower house of parliament voted to end the Bundeswehr's participation in the same EU scheme in neighbouring Mali. By contrast, the German training of Nigerien soldiers will continue until the end of the year.

After his visit to the base, Scholz plans political talks in the capital Niamey.

The security situation is precarious in the entire Sahel region, which stretches south of the Sahara desert from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. Several armed groups are active there, and some have sworn allegiance to Islamic State or al-Qaeda.

The instability is one reason why thousands of people from the region are making their way to Europe.