An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 13 independence for the northern region of Mali, known as Azawad. On 22nd March 2012, low ranking Malian soldiers, frustrated with the poor handling of the rebellion, overthrew President Toure. Intensive mediation efforts led by the Economic Community of West African States returned power to a civilian administration in April 2012 with the appointment of Interim President Dioncounda Traore. However, post-coup chaos had seen the Malian military expelled from the country's three northern regions and allowed Islamic militants to set up strongholds. From early 2012 to 2013, renewed fighting in northern Mali between government forces and the MNLA and their Islamist al- lies, as well as persistent food shortages, caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Malians. Most sought shelter in urban areas of southern Mali, except for pastoralist and nomadic groups, who abandoned their traditional routes, gave away or sold their livestock, and dispersed into the deserts of northern Mali or crossed into neighbouring countries. Almost all Malians who took refuge abroad (mostly Tuareg and Maure pastoralists) stayed largely in Mauritania, Niger, and Burkina Faso. In January 2013 a French-led international military intervention to retake the three northern regions began, and within a month most of the north had been retaken. In July and August 2013 democratic elections took place, with Ibrahim Boubacar Keita elected president. Due to the chaos and instability Mali has become a known source-, transit-, and destination-country for human trafficking, with men, women and children being exploited for forced labour and sex. Many migrants travelling through Mali to Mauritania, Algeria, or Libya in hope of reaching Europe are particularly at risk of becoming victims of trafficking. In 2014 the Malian government made a plan to take significant steps to bring the country into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking. Additional problems faced by Mali's population include the country's very high incidence of food and waterborne diseases like bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vector borne diseases like malaria and dengue fever; and a water contact disease, schistosomiasis. In February 2013, at the request of the Malian government and on the basis, in particular, of UN Resolution 2085, EU member states agreed to establish the European Union Training Mission (EUTM) Mali to train the Malian Armed Forces (MaAF) on the basis of the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). In May 2016 the Council of the EU agreed to continue providing military training and advice to the MaAF with a third mandate that runts until May 2018. During this mandate the mission area was extended towards the river Niger loop, including the mu- nicipalities of Gao and Timbuktu, and will move from initially centralised activities towards a more decentralised approach. The third mandate, consisting of four phases - shaping, initial decentralisation, overall decentralisation, and transfer of authori- ty - will enable the MaAF to take responsibility for its own military education and training system and to achieve successful reform. EUTM Mali is a non-executive mission, meaning the deployed servicemen and women do not participate in combat activities, but train, advise and educate the MaAF to enable it to restore its military ability, to conduct military operations to re-establish ter- ritorial control, and to reduce the threat posed by terrorist groups. EUTM Mali is considered a proving ground for the EU's CSDP as it has adopted a comprehensive bottom-up and top-down approach through education, training and advice. The mission area divides into five military regions, Kayes, Sikasso, Bamako, Segou and Mopti, as well as the area between Mopti and the river Niger loop. So far, in its three years EUTM Mali has successfully trained eight MaAF battle-groups and retrained five others. Additionally, several leadership courses and specialised training courses have been conducted. Over 8,000 soldiers (two-thirds of the MaAF) have now been trained by EUTM Mali. Train-the-trainer and monitor-the-trainer courses conducted by EUTM Mali are aimed at establishing an independent MaAF train- ing way of life. These courses are conducted in the military region headquarter garrisons, MaAF schools, or at the EUTM training centre in Koulikoro (KTC). Brig Gen Eric Harvent from Belgium currently leads EUTM Mali, which has approximately 580 troops from 22 EU member states and four non-EU states, Georgia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania. Mission HQ is located in Bamako, and KTC (100km north-east of Bamako), is the home of the Education and Training Task Force Lt Col Mervin Farrell with Cpl Nigel Kennedy talking to the COS/Minister Sgt Kevin Murray instructing on CIS training

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