An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 39 EUTM-Mali's current mandate, the third, has progressed to conducting decentralised training with combined mobile advisory and training teams (CMATTs) across the country. There is also the delivery of training on international humanitarian law, protection of civilians and human rights. The mission established a support cell in Brussels to liaise with the different branches of the European External Affairs Service and officials from the EU's Common Defence and Security Policy. Upon Malian request and in co-ordination with MINUSMA, EUTM also contributes to the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process framed by the peace agreement by providing training sessions to facilitate the reconstruction of an inclusive MaAF. In support of the MaAF, EUTM-Mali also supports the G5 Sahel Joint Force by contributing to the enhancement of co-ordination and interoperability within the G5 Sahel national armed forces. EUTM-Mali's Education and Training Task Force has currently trained over 11,500 MaAF soldiers, and has provided ten CMATTs throughout Mali. An 11th CMATT is currently being concluded in the military town of Kati, 20km north of Bamako, which had a company of MaAF ranging from ground troops to tank crews. The four week CMATT focused on basic skills all the way up to 'train- ing the trainers,' and learning is confirmed and reinforced by a combined MaAF exercise in the concluding week. In addition, EUTM-Mali has trained eight ETIAs (battle groups) and retrained five more. The ETIA courses are mainly conducted in Koulikoro training facilities over an intense six-week programme. The Defence Forces contributes a contingent of 20 personnel to six-month tours of duty. The DF has been involved in the mis- sion since it began and is currently on its 11th contingent (IRCON 11) and its personnel hold some of the key appointments within EUTM-Mali, including SIO, EO ETTF and KTC Camp Commandant, Deputy Chief Instructor, training leaders and instructors, and roles in MovCon, J1, J4, and J6. Troops selected for this mission come from all areas of the Defence Forces and IRCON 11 has troops from 2 Brigade, the Air Corps, and the DFTC. They include infantry, transport, CIS, logis- tics, engineering, and training unit personnel. Before serving with EUTM-Mali all troops must undertake a three-week Overseas Qualification course in the United Nations Training School Ireland, in the DFTC. This includes a Military First Responders course, and lectures on human rights and military law. Furthermore, they must complete a two-week specific training course for Mali, which focuses on C-IED, mine awareness, patrol drills, helicopter drills, foreign weapons, medical and SERE training. When arriving in-theatre the troops quickly find themselves in temperatures ranging up into the 40°C. In the first week they receive a full handover while they acclimatise to their new envi- ronment. The training team members from IRCON 11 are presently in- volved with CMATTs, a fusiliers course, and signals, topography, and engineer search courses. They are involved in training on weapons, basic tactics, signals, patrol drills, base defence, C-IED and urban fighting. Trainers have to quickly adapt to training requests from the MaAF and have to immerse themselves in the MaAF doctrine. EUTM-Mali's fourth mandate is scheduled to begin on 18th May 2018. Despite the interventions and the assistance committed to Mali unrest has grown, with jihadists groups targeting UN peacekeep- ers. MINUSMA, with more than 13,000 peacekeepers deployed, has become one of the most dangerous peace operations in UN history, and since 2013 over 160 peacekeepers have lost their lives in this north-west African conflict. Over the course of 2017 and 2018 the security situation in Mali has worsened and attacks against MINUSMA and Malian defence and security forces have increased and intensified. Given the increasingly challenging nature of today's conflicts and the high number of recent peacekeeper casualties, the United Nations is actively engaged in seeking solutions that will reduce fatalities, improve the safety and security of our personnel, and improve the overall performance of UN peacekeeping operations in protecting the vulnerable and establishing peace. The crisis is very complex, with both humanitarian and security concerns, and a comprehensive solution will be required, not just one focused solely on counterterrorism to try to end the violence. Sgt Lee Bolger, Lt Killian Owens and Sgt Kieran Crawford with a MaAF Platoon after their airbase defence exercise MaAF after completing an urban exercise Sgt Lee Bolger and Sgt Kieran Crawford with MaAF Cam&Con class Sgt Lee Bolger teaching a MaAF class on Cam&Con

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