LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg, April 15, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Council today extended the EU military training mission in Mali (EUTM Mali) by two years, i.e. until 18 May 2016.
EUTM Mali supports the training and reorganisation of the Malian Armed Forces. It aims to help improve the military capacity of the Malian Armed Forces in order to allow, under civilian authority, the restoration of the country’s territorial integrity.
The extension of the mandate will allow military training of four additional battalions of the Malian Armed Forces. At the same time, the Council approved additional activities for the mission. During the renewed mandate, the operation will establish two mobile training teams who will follow up on the battalions previously trained, once they have returned to their garrisons. In addition, “train the trainer” programmes will contribute to the sustainability of the mission’s efforts.
Brigadier General Marc Rudkiewicz has been Mission Commander since 1 April 2014 for around 560 staff at the mission’s headquarters in Bamako and its training camp in
Koulikoro. The common costs for the extension of the mission’s mandate are estimated at € 27.7 million.
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