26/02/2020 (Agence Europe) – In a report prepared on 11 February, Denis Tull from the Institut de Recherche stratégique de l'École militaire (IRSEM) highlighted seven challenges facing the EU training mission in Mali (EUTM Mali). The report states, for example, that the army is required to fight and re-build at the same time, and assistance is more supply-driven than aligned with needs, which also leads to a lack of coordination of outside support. Tull also condemns what he calls “insufficient and ineffective training”, pointing to the diverging interests between the EU, which wants to contribute to rebuilding Mali’s army, and the Malian government, which delegates security to foreign forces. The mission is encountering resistance to change. “Perhaps the greatest weakness of security sector assistance in Mali is that it works around various institutional problems rather than seeking to address them”. To view the report, go to: http://bit.ly/2TeTWFu (CG)