Brussels,17/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - The establishment of a training and restructuring mission for the Malian army (EUTM Mali) was the main achievement of the extraordinary meeting on Mali convened by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Secrity Policy Catherine Ashton in Brussels on 17 January 2013, and attended by EU foreign ministers. The meeting was called in order to decide upon an action plan (see EUROPE 10765 ) and took place the day after hostage-taking at a BP site in Algeria in retalisation and against the background of the French army's military intervention to free a number of French and British hostages (see related article).
The formal decision by the EU Council of Ministers to set up the EUTM Mali and appoint French brigadier general François Lecointre as its commander came in response to the EU's promise to accelerate the planing of EUTM Mali now that France has intervened militarily in Mali in what is called the Serval operation, in request for a call for aid from Mali. The decision will enable the chief of mission to travel to Mali this week to assess requirements, but another decision will have to be awaited (expected for 12 February at the upcoming Foreign Affairs Council) for the details of the training and advisory mission to the Mali army in the light of UN Security Council resolutions 2071 and 2085 and a direct request to the EU from the Mali government.
In addition to making the formal decision, the special meeting on Mali enabled the EU27 to condemn the action of terrorist groups against the Mali action, to express support for the work of the region and the international community to help Mali regain the territory taken over by the terrorists and deal with the danger of Jihadist groups and terrorists in northern Mali causing trouble in the region itself and the world in general. The EU action is in comformity with United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2071 and 2085. The EU meeting gave an opportunity to unanimously welcome the rapid military response by France, backed logistically by ten other member states, including Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany and Belgium and to hold a constructive dialogue with Malian Foreign Minister Thieman Hubert Coulibay. The latter was assured of the EU's full support, which he welcomed, although only France has thus far considered sending troups. The EU urged the Malian government to introduce a roadmap as quickly as possible to restore democracy and the rule of law and in a unanimous conclusions document, the EU said it would provide cash and logistics to an international force under African control. The EU also promised a rapid increase in humanitarian aid.
Catherine Ashton said the ministers at the meeting had highlighted the need to speed up international cooperation and had enabled the EU27 to agree on tangible measures such as the establishment of EUTM Mali, speeding up MISMA and greater humanitarian aid (some €93 million has already been mobilised). This matches the EU's strategic plans for the Sahel region, for which an EU Special Representative will soon be appointed. Answering those that say France is acting alone, Ashton said France was a key player in the Sahel strategy and EU military action was required. The EU has the role of backing France in its operations and France has acted as it should to respond to a request from the president of Mali. Several other countries, she said, have said they are ready to provide aid and military action has not been ruled out. French minister Laurent Fabius said the French were the precursors and it was possible that combat troops from other member states would join them, but he did not name any countries. The Malian minister told reporters the meeting had discussed the situation and possible future military and political action and the entire international community now needed to be mobilised to come to Mali's aid. He said the jihadists allied to al Qaida and drug traffickers were a threat to peace and stability in Mali itself and the rest of the world, adding that it is not a Tuareg problem because the Tuareg keep the country running from day to day, but terrorists and drug traffickers were using the religious question as cover. He said he had come to request aid from Europe, for European support for EUTM Mali, humanitarian aid and the resumption of budget aid, but it is, of course, up to Mali to submit its roadmap to the country's parliament and to publish it. He said this had been laid down as a condition and would be met. Coulibaly said the roadmap for the restoration of Mali's territorial integrity and the organisation of elections leading to a new power (order). He added that the roadmap had already been drawn up and would be published over the next few days. To a reporter asking whether he was happy with the response of the EU, Coulibaly said that all of ECOWAS was providing groups. Not everyone wants to fight he said, as logistics were also needed and he was completely satisfied. The deployment of MISMA will start at the end of next week because an ECOWAS summit will take place in Abidjan on Saturday 19 April, preceded by a meeting of the Peace and Security Council, which would draw up the plan of operations, he explained.
In its conclusions document, the Council of Ministers said the EU supported the rapid deployment of MISMA (International Mission for Support of Mali, under African leadership) and said the EU was prepared to rapidly add financial aid to the funding for the African Peace Facility. The EU high representative is asked to speed up preparations for the mobilisation of this cash (for financial and logistical aid) in close connection with the African Union and ECOWAS, to ensure that the operational proposals can be submitted to the Council as a matter of urgency.
The Council called for the holding of a donor confierence as soon as possible to provide logistical and financial support for the deployment of MISMA and urged Ashton to decide on how the EU should participate in the donor conference.
EUTM Mali will be adapted. The estimated cost of the EUTM Mali mission is €12.3 million for the five-year duration of its mandate.
The military staff headquarters will be based in Bamako and training will take place to the north-east of the capital. Given how rapidly the situation in Mali is developing, the EUTM will be tailored to suit but will not change its objective - or its size. It is a matter of carrying out urgent reconstruction of the Malian Army, the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, said after the extraordinary council meeting. As earlier planned, four battalions (2,600 strong) out of the existing eight battalions of the Malian army will still be trained. In parallel, the mission will aim to provide advice and assistance to the Malian Defence Ministry, as well as to the command structure of the Malian armed forces. The task will, however, prove to be more complex than that, not only because of the current state of the Malian army but also, and above all, because the Malian troops are fighting alongside French forces at the present time. A rotation system could thus be set in place for the Malian battalions, combined with specialised training modules, in order to make up for what is considered particularly critical shortfalls in the current context (logistical and medical support, reinforcement of command and communication structures). Regarding relocation of the mission, it is now up to General Lecointre to determine the most suitable place.
The task force for the mission should be composed of around 500 soldiers, including 250 trainers and military advisers, a protection unit (150 soldiers), the command personnel, logistical support and medical support (a field hospital could also be deployed). Details regarding the breakdown of contributions in personnel from each EU member state have not yet been decided. A so-called force generation conference is to be held in coming days, a European source told EUROPE, on the sidelines of the Council. However, over the past few days, several governments have already announced they are willing to take part in the EUTM Mali mission, despite the fact that they were previously reticent about doing so. Thus, the United Kingdom is expected to send two military advisers, alongside 40 to 50 Spanish military. Furthermore, Cyprus, Poland, France, Italy, Germany, Estonia, Slovenia, Hungary, Sweden and Belgium are expected to follow suit.
One of the questions currently being studied is that of determining whether it is necessary to increase protection. Up to 200 soldiers may be tasked with protecting European advisers and trainers. The status of all the forces (civil and criminal liability) is soon to be negotiated with Malian authorities. On Thursday 17 January, the Council approved the negotiating mandate of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). The mission's budget is estimated at €12 million for deployment over 15 months. Nonetheless, the credit line could be lengthened, if a decision on stepping up the protection unit is taken. (AN/JK/transl.fl/jl).