Brussels, 10/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - The EU is going to be able to begin operational planning of the military mission (EUTM Mali) that it is preparing as part of the common security and defence policy (CSDP) to support the possible deployment of a Malian force to recover the North of Mali. On Monday 10 December, the Council of the EU formally adopted the crisis management concept aiming to support the training and reorganisation of Malian battalions by some 250 instructors and military advisers (see EUROPE 10747 and 10734). The same day, the European Commission announced that a further €20 million in humanitarian aid would soon be released to help both the Malian people in the country and the refugees in neighbouring countries - which will bring to €101 million the humanitarian effort deployed by the EU this year in response to the Malian crisis. In order to do this, the Council and European Parliament will need to give their approval for the release of this additional funding.
EUTM Mali aims to contribute to improving the military capacities and effectiveness of the Malian armed forces to enable, under civil authority, the restoration of the country's territorial integrity, and it is written into the framework of the overall EU strategy for Mali and the entire Sahel region. “The presence of terrorist groups and the oppression of local populations in the north of Mali, as well as human rights violations, pose a grave threat not only to the Sahel region, but also to North Africa and to Europe. We are determined to fully mobilise all the tools we have, in cooperation with our regional and international partners, to help Malians restore the rule of law and re-establish a fully sovereign democratic government with authority throughout the country. European military expertise can contribute significantly to this effort”, comments Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
€20 million in emergency aid. The €20 million in humanitarian aid will allow the most pressing needs to be met (drinking water, foodstuffs, sanitation, shelter, healthcare) for the most vulnerable Malians, and to ensure their protection. The European commissioner for international cooperation, humanitarian aid and crisis response, Kristalina Georgieva, said that millions of Malians are in cruel need of emergency aid and easing their suffering must be our absolute priority. She said (our translation): “Rapid and coordinated action by us has this year made it possible to avoid a disaster that placed the lives of 18 million people in danger in the region of the Sahel. Nonetheless, even if we step up our efforts to strengthen resilience to natural disasters, such as drought, so that this same sort of crisis does not happen again, we undertake not to neglect emergency aid each time it is necessary and wherever it is necessary”. (AN/transl.fl/jl)