An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir June 2018 www.dfmagazine.ie 38 | U nrest in Mali stems from a 2012 Tuareg separatist upris- ing that broke out during the instability that followed a military coup. The rebellion was partly an unintended consequence of Muammar gaddafi's downfall in libya. The libyan 'blowback' took the form of an influx of libyan weapons and the return of Tuaregs who formerly fought for the libyan dictator. Those weapons and the presence of seasoned fighters tipped the balance. Mali's three largest northern cities, Kidal, gao and Timbuktu were overrun by the rebels within three days. The rebels drove back the government troops in the north and started imposing Sharia law. The situation was exploited by jihadists, and more than a dozen of Timbuktu's holy shrines, built in the 15th and 16th centuries, when the city was revered as a centre of Islamic learning, were destroyed in a campaign against idolatry by groups linked to al-Qaeda. The Malian government asked for foreign military help to retake the north, and on 11th January 2013, the French military began Operation Serval against the Islamists. This led to the es- tablishment of a UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, known by its French acronym MINUSMA, to support the Malian peace agree- ment by helping to restore state authority, advance diplomacy, strengthen security and promote human rights. The restoration of a lasting peace in Mali is essential for long term stability in the Sahel region and, in a comprehensive sense, for Africa and Europe. At the request of the Malian government, and on the basis of UN resolutions (in particular UNSCR 2085), the member states of the EU agreed on 18th February 2013 to estab- lish a mission to train the Malian Armed Forces (MaAF), within the framework of the EU Common Security and Defence Policy. The mission objectives were to help the Malian authorities to restore constitutional and democratic order through the faithful implementation of the EU's 'road map' for the transition, adopted on 29th January 2013 by the National Assembly. This road map includes free and transparent elections and a national inclusive dialogue, in addition to restoring state authority, law and order throughout the country, and neutralizing organised crime and terrorist threats. The military training mission, EUTM Mali, was set up specifi- cally to assist the MaAF through the provision of training and advice in command and control, logistics and human resources, as well as in international humanitarian law, and the protection of civilians and human rights. EUTM Mali, with 581 personnel at present, has its multinational headquarters in Bamako, the capital of Mali, where the mission's force commander is located with his staff and advisors. The train- ing camp, where the Education and Training Task Force is based, is 60km northeast of Bamako in Koulikoro, where the MaAF has a training centre that includes their Cadet School, NCO Training School and Soldier Training School. The camp has lecture halls, outdoor classrooms, living facilities, training areas, and a shoot- ing range located on the north banks of the River Niger. Comprising personnel from 21 member states, EUTM Mali is one of the elements of a global approach organised by the EU in Mali and defined within the strategy for security and develop- ment in the Sahel. The mission has a non-executive mandate; that is to say, the deployed servicemen and women do not par- ticipate in combat activities and do not accompany MaAF units on operations. Since the mission was established in February 2013, EUTM Mali's mandate has evolved and responded to the operational needs of the MaAF as it encounters new threats. This includes training and advice on command and control for their company commander's courses. Courses conducted in the Koulikoro Train- ing Centre include basic infantry, C-IED, communications, air base defence, medical, armoured vehicle operation, weapons, sniper training, leadership, and many more. An Cosantóir June 2018 www.dfmagazine.ie 38 | By lT ThOMAS MChAlE-ROE Lt Killian Owen, teaching a MaAF class on offensive tactics

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