An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 21 realised that in order to prevent further incursions into Mali or to prevent insurgents using the country as an operating base, a military mission to assist the Malian military was needed. Consequently, on 18th February 2013 the European Union Training Mission Mali (EUTM Mali) was established with the objectives assisting the Malian au- thorities to: restore constitutional and democratic order in Mali through the 'road map' for the transition adopted on 29th January by the National Assem- bly, which included free and transparent elections in 2013 and a national inclusive dialogue; restore state authority and law and order throughout the country; neutralise organised crime and terrorist threats. Military personnel from 26 countries, including members of the Defence Forces, were deployed on the mission under the command of Brig Gen Eric Harvent (Belgium). Eighteen Irish soldiers from various units serve with EUTM Mali in non-combat roles, mainly being assigned to train and advise the Malian Armed Forces. Three staff officers and four NCOs are posted to the Mission HQ at Bamako, while three officers and eight NCOs are part of the mission's training team stationed at the Koulikoro Training Camp, located approximately 100km east of the capital Bamako. Training for the Malian Armed Forces focuses on legal and leadership skills; education; strategy and tac- tics; planning; basic military principles; and international humanitarian law. Leadership courses and specialised train- ing courses have enhanced the abilities of the Malian military and during the last three years EUTM Mali has successfully trained eight battle-groups and retrained a further five. The capture and trial at the International Criminal Court in the Hague of jihadi, Ahmad al-Mahdi, is a testament to the work being carried out by the EUTM team. He is the first defendant to plead guilty at the courts for destroying religious monuments in the ancient city of Timbuktu. He openly apologised to the people of Mali and expressed deep regret for his actions. He is currently awaiting sentencing. Though the country has regained some stability in recent years, north and central Mali remain unstable, with insur- gency attacks by al-Qaida and Islamic Maghreb. In Novem- ber 2015, insurgent gunmen attacked the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako. In October 2016, at a UN camp in Aguelhok, in the Kidal region, peacekeepers came under attack from mortar fire. While on patrol outside the wire, two vehicles were struck by IEDs and one peacekeeper was killed and several wounded. These attacks, though small in scale, are attempting to undermine the legitimate government of Mali that the EUTM is assisting. While much has been achieved in recent years, the insur- gency remains a viable threat not only to the region but to the world. The EUTM team is there to ensure that Mali and its neighbours don't become a base for insurgents to launch at- tacks. The men and women of the Defence Forces serving with EUTM Mali are conducting an important mission, as their work not only ensures the safety of the population of Mali but that any insurgency in the region is contained and eradicated. about the author: Paul O'Brien MA is an accomplished author and military historian and a regular contributor to An Cosantóir. He won the European Military Press Association's 'Best Article 2013', with 'At the Gates of Hell (Mali)' (An Cosantóir April 2013). Some of his recent books were Battleground: The Battle for the General Post Office 1916 (2015), A Question of Duty: The Curragh Incident, 1914 (2014) and Shootout: The Battle for St Stephen's Green, 1916 (2013). www.dfmagazine.ie & www.paulobrienauthor.ie

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