EU training mission Mali extended for two years

brussels - The European Union is extending its military training mission in Mali for two years until May 2020. From now on, the mission also aims to give advice and training to the armed forces of an African troop force in the Sahel. This so-called G5 Sahel of 5,000 soldiers from Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger and Chad was established to combat human smuggling, Islamic militias and terrorism.

With the Mali mission, Europe has been contributing to the reorganization and better functioning of the armed forces in the West African country since 2013. A small six hundred European soldiers are deployed for this. The budget for the next two years will be increased to almost 60 million euros, almost a doubling compared to the previous period. So far, 11,580 Malian soldiers have been trained.

In addition to the European mission, a UN peacekeeping force is also active in Mali. It must bring stability and keep jihad fighters in the north of the country in check. The Netherlands supplies about 250 blue helmets.

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