toward Mali

18 August, Berlin (Reuters) - Following a disagreement with the local authorities regarding overflight authorizations, Berlin suspended most of its operations in West Africa on Thursday. The German military then resumed its flights to Mali.

The German armed forces announced on Twitter that an airplane carrying about 90 soldiers had taken off from Cologne at 5:47 a.m. for a flight operated on behalf of the Bundeswehr.

After the local authorities rejected flight permits, Germany suspended its military reconnaissance operation on Friday.

Berlin has sent some 1.000 soldiers to Mali, mainly in the northern region near the city of Gao, where their main goal is to gather information for Minusma, the United Nations mission to maintain peace in Mali.

The Minusma was established in 2013 to support foreign and local forces fighting against Islamist rebels, although tensions between the mission and Mali's government have recently been noted on several occasions.

Since the end of the previous year, members of Group Wagner, a private military company connected to the Kremlin, have supported the Mali army in its conflict with the Islamic insurgency. (Reporting Sabine Siebold; writing Rachel More; French language version Elena Vardon; editing Kate Entringer)