German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen was due to visit German soldiers in Mali on Thursday, after holding talks with the West African nation's government in the capital Bamako, dpa reported. Von der Leyen's two-day Africa trip comes a day after Germany's cabinet decided to increase its contribution to the European Union's training mission in Mali from 180 to 250 soldiers. The minister was due to meet German soldiers in the town of Koulikoro, about 60 kilometres from Bamako, where they help train the Malian army. France recently reduced its military presence from 4,500 to 2,300 soldiers, in anticipation that Mali's recent presidential and parliamentary elections would help restore peace.