On Friday 4 August, the EU Council adopted a decision "authorising a stabilisation action in the central regions of Mali, in the Mopti and Segou governorates" in order to "counter the growing insecurity and to re-establish and expand the civilian administration in these regions".
In concrete terms, responding to an invitation from the Malian authorities, the EU will deploy a team of experts that will consist of 10 people who will advise the Malian authorities in Mopti and Segou on issues linked to governance. The team will support the Malian authorities' planning and implementation of activities aimed at reinstating the civilian administration and basic services in the region. The team will be able also to support an enhanced dialogue between the Malian authorities and the local communities. Its work will focus primarily on the consolidation and support of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and gender equality by strengthening general governance, the EU Council states in a press release.
The 'stabilisation team' will begin work "in the autumn", according to a European source, and it will have a budget of €3.25 million for an initial operating phase of one year. It will be based within the EU Delegation in Mali and will operate in Bamako, Mopti and Segou. It will be directed by the head of the EU Delegation.
The team's action will complement those of the delegation and the EU CSDP missions deployed in Mali (EUCAP Sahel Mali and EUTM Mali) and it will be part of the EU's integrated approach in Mali. The stabilisation team will also work in close cooperation with other international actors in the region, particularly the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), the EU Council states.
The establishment of this stabilisation action was decided on the basis of Article 28 of the Treaty of the EU, which states that "where the international situation requires operational action by the Union, the Council shall adopt the necessary decisions. They shall lay down their objectives, scope, the means to be made available to the Union, if necessary their duration, and the conditions for their implementation". This is the first time that a Council decision has been adopted on the basis of this article. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)