German parliament extends four military missions abroad

BERLIN

The German parliament voted overnight to extend four military missions abroad, securing the Bundeswehr's international deployments despite an upcoming federal election.

In the early morning hours of Friday, the Bundestag approved mandate extensions for operations SEA GUARDIAN and IRINI in the Mediterranean, ASPIDES in the Red Sea and UNMISS in South Sudan with strong bipartisan support.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s left-liberal coalition government had proposed the extensions in December to ensure operational continuity through Germany's early parliamentary elections, set for Feb. 23.

The extension of the missions received broad support from lawmakers across party lines, including both the governing coalition of Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens, as well as the main opposition Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP).

Following the approval, the German military will continue its contribution to NATO's Maritime Security Operation SEA GUARDIAN in the Mediterranean, deploying warships and maintaining a force of up to 550 soldiers through November 2025.

As part of the EU Naval Force Mediterranean Operation IRINI, Germany will provide naval ships and up to 300 soldiers through November 2025. The mission's goal is to enforce the arms embargo against Libya.

The Bundeswehr's contribution to EU-led operation ASPIDES in the Red Sea will continue until the end of October 2025. The mission will include naval forces and up to 700 soldiers to protect vital shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

For the UN mission in South Sudan, UNMISS, Germany will provide up to 50 soldiers until the end of October 2025. These troops will assist with technical equipment and training of contributing nations. UNMISS focuses on protecting civilians, facilitating humanitarian aid, and supporting the implementation of the peace process.